Forever.

I rake the cheap plastic fork through the tasteless mashed potatoes, clearly instant made, and what’s left of my green beans, also cold and bitter. Grimacing at my nearly thirteen dollar plate, I regret my decision to not leave and grab food from elsewhere. Hospital food is not only unappetizing, but also expensive. I guess it is convenient though.

Staff members dressed in various colors and patterns of scrubs make their way through, walking in pairs or alone with their airpods in, taking advantage of the quick breath of fresh air away from all the beeping monitors and gasping patients.

You know, good for them; helping people for the greater good. Heal and care for the ill without expecting a return. Work tirelessly, endlessly and-

“Honestly, I can not wait to take my two week vacay. I’ve been dying to get back to Malibu. I need that sun ASAP.” A female’s voice passing by scratches into my ear.

“Is Liam coming with?” Another female voice replies.

“Absolutely not! Malibu’s for the girls. I’ll do what I want, when I want without him breathing down my back.”

-and selfishly, I guess.

I shake my head as the pair of high pony tails in light blue scrubs pass me with their whipped scream topped iced coffees. The strong scent of someone’s perfume wafts over to my nose and overwhelms me. I decide I’m finished with my utterly disappointing meal and quickly stand to toss it.

“Oh my god!” A plastic tray clatters to the ground behind me, decorating the tiles with pasta noodles, a bread roll, and a triangular container holding a strawberry cake slice.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry about that.” I scramble to the floor and pick up the only salvageable item being the cake - the rest is a lost cause. “Ma’am, I really do apologize. I didn’t realize anyone was behind me. I’ll pay you back or I can offer to replace-”

“Mav?” My eyes instantly snap to the face that belonged to the outstretched hand that reached for the cake. “Maverick, is that really you?”

Her eyes are exactly how I remembered them to be; mostly brown with hints of hazel. Her black hair is a lot shorter now, but it suits her. Before, she always had long hair that she let loose most days to let it determine how it wanted to behave. It always was entirely enamouring back then, but the clips in her bangs now framed her delicate face so well. I shouldn’t notice her lipstick fading on her bottom lip.

“Charolette?” My breath catches in my throat. She grabs the container, her fingertips grazing mine gently and linger a moment before she pulls the container close to her.

“What happened to Charlie? You never just called me Charlotte." Her soft smile calms me despite the embarrassment pounding in my chest. I can feel that my face is flushed.

“I wasn’t too sure you still liked that nickname. It’s been a while.” My voice is quieter than I intended.

“You’ve called me Charlie since we were kids. Sixteen years later, I still expect it from you. Doesn’t matter how long it’s been.” She giggles.

“I know…” My voice trails. I stick my hands in my pockets and nervously fidget with the crumpled cafeteria receipt with my fingers. I don’t know if I should hug her or pretend I barely knew her anymore. “I didn’t see you at the reunion six years ago.”

She opens her mouth to reply until a janitor hurries to us with a broom and mop to clean up my mess. I thoroughly apologize to him and he gives me a warm smile. I don’t think he heard me with his music playing in his ear. I grab my own tray to finally dump it and Charlotte follows me silently. We take an escalator to a higher floor, away from the loud crowd of the cafeteria and settle into a corner lobby with no one present. I wait for her to pick a chair before settling in one a respectable distance from her.

“Yeah, I didn’t go.” She sits her hands on the cake container and twirls her fingers around each other. “There was no one I really wanted to see again after ten years.”

There’s an immediate pang in my chest.

I went to the reunion purely in hopes to see Charlotte.

Only her.

Always her.

“Oh, I see.” I lift my chin to hide the fact I am a little hurt. “There wasn’t much to it, really. Same ol’ people acting the same ol’ way. Some people never change. I think you dodged a bullet by not going. Travis Henley damn threw up all over the caterers and half the food. Poor Miss Blanchard had to try to escort him out by herself. I don’t even know why she was there to begin with-”

“Did you go with Amelia?” Charlotte's quiet voice cuts through my rambling. Her eyes are locked with mine now mirroring the same emotion I’ve felt for years. I shake my head, holding her gaze.

“We broke up three years after graduation.” Dropping my head, I remember that terrible day. I was so unhappy; with her, with me, with my life direction. She didn’t make me feel fulfilled or wanted. I felt as if I had wasted five years on a loveless relationship. I felt stuck until I finally wasn’t.

“I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out.” She bites her lip in frustration and guilt.

“Yeah. I guess. Sometimes I had believed we’d be together forever.” My brow furrows at my childish white lie.

“Forever is never guaranteed.” She says. I look at her and she’s now looking past me at the passing cars and workers wheeling patients in and out.

“Do you think it would be with the right person?” My voice is shaky. Her eyes soften and she returns her light brown and green speckled gaze to me. A strand of black falls out of her clip and hangs beside her eye.

“I don’t think there’s ever a right person.”

“What do you mean?” My stomach jumps into knots at her reply.

“I think-” The corners of her mouth curl ever so slightly upward and she looks down at her hands now cupping the cake container. “I think we choose to settle. There is no right, perfect person for us. I believe we have to decide who to bend and break for to make it work in the end...”

Oh, Charlotte.

“So, I guess the right person makes it right for you and you make yourself the right person for them.” She takes a deep breath.

All these years, I would’ve done whatever needed to be done to become her right person. She’s the only one I’ve wanted to bend and break for. She’s everything I want to be right for.

“Charlotte?”

“Yes, Mav?”

“I think I…”