The First Time I Saw Him

I was fifteen when I first saw him — not in the waking world, but in a dream so vivid, it settled into my memory like it had always been there. The kind of dream you never forget, because some part of you whispers this is real. 
In the dream, I was in a place that didn’t belong to time. A meadow beneath a lavender sky, with stars flickering like they were breathing. There was a lake, still as glass, reflecting a moon that looked bigger than the sky could hold. I stood on its shore, barefoot, the hem of my gown soaked in dew. Not a modern dress — but something out of a different century. Heavy silk, soft laces. I looked like someone from a story long forgotten. 
And then — I turned. 
He was already there. 
On a horse, tall and still, watching me. 
I didn’t know his name. I had never seen his face before. 
But I knew him. Deeply. Instinctively. As though my soul had been searching for him in every crowd I’d ever walked through. 
He dismounted slowly, never taking his eyes off me. There was no fear, no doubt, only a stillness — like we had both arrived. I felt warmth rush into my chest as he stepped closer. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. 
We danced. 
No music. No words. Just the rhythm of two beings who had known each other before names, before countries, before time began counting years. I looked into his eyes, and the world disappeared. In his gaze, I found every emotion I had never felt in waking life — love, safety, devotion, and something else… a promise. 
Wait for me. 
I’ll find you again. 
When I woke up, I cried. 
Not because it was over, but because I knew it wasn’t just a dream. 
From that moment on, I waited. 
Not actively. Not dramatically. Just quietly — a secret thread running through my life, pulling me forward. I saw glimpses of him in strangers. I searched for his eyes in passing faces. Now and then, he’d return in my sleep. On a boat. In a forest. Across a battlefield. Always looked at me like he remembered too. 
I didn’t know when, or how, but I believed I would meet him again. 
In this life. In this skin. In a moment I couldn’t plan. 
And I did.

It felt like a neutral invitation. Something we used to do all the time — back when I was still learning how to feel like a person again.


I said yes. Of course, I did. I owed him that much.


When I arrived, he was already there, sitting at our usual table. His face was warm, familiar. Two drinks sat between us, steam curling into the air.


"Spanish latte," he said, nudging one toward me. "No sugar, just trauma."


He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Some things stick."


He nodded. "Didn't expect to, but yeah."


"He's not back," I said quickly. "He just… appeared."


"Like he always does," Jace replied gently.


I looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"


He tilted his head, studying me. "You used to talk about him. Not directly. But he was in the pauses. In the way, you avoided certain questions. I knew there was someone."


"You never really talked about Manila," he added. "Not in detail. But I knew."


I met his eyes. "He wasn't my ex. Not really. Not anything official. Just… someone who cracked me open and left."


Jace gave a small nod. "Someone who taught you how much you could feel again."


"I saw him, and it felt like the past came back in one breath. Like everything we never finished just… walked back in."


Jace smiled, softly. "You always said love didn't have to be loud. Just real."


I smiled too, but mine hurt. "This one was quiet. But it echoed."


He looked down at his hands, thinking. "You know… sometimes I wondered."


"If maybe… in another timeline… I'd have been the one to help you fall in love again."


"I know," he said. "But sometimes healing feels like a waiting room. Not the destination."


I reached across the table, touching his hand. "I don't regret our time. Not a single second of it."


We sat in that softness, the kind you only get with someone who once waited quietly in the background.


Before we left, he said, "You never owed me anything, Mara."


"But I hope you see me this time too. I'm waiting and will be waiting."


I didn't answer. Because I wasn't sure what to say at that moment.


Chapter 24 - Chapter Twenty-Four: Familiar Places