when the seasons turn

Fourteen Years Ago

Ethan was eleven when his mother sent him to her childhood village for the summer. He wasn't thrilled. He was the type who liked books more than people, and the thought of spending months in a place with no WiFi was his personal nightmare.

His grandmother had other plans.

> "Go outside! Make friends!" she said, practically pushing him out the door.

Ethan sighed, sitting on the porch while the village kids played nearby. They ran around barefoot, chasing each other like wild animals. He wanted no part of that.

Then, one day, they started whispering about her.

> "She thinks she's so smart."

"She stole my ice cream yesterday!"

"Let's show her who's boss."

Determined to put this city girl in her place, they marched to her house.

But the moment Ethan saw her, the plan crumbled.

Halena Arlo Lopez was not what he expected. She wasn't snobby or distant. She was loud, chaotic, and entirely too friendly.

And when she spotted Ethan, standing awkwardly behind the others, she pointed at him and grinned.

> "Hey! Why aren't you playing? Come on!"

Ethan shook his head, mumbling an excuse, but Halena had no patience for shyness. She grabbed his hand and dragged him forward.

That was the moment everything changed.

That summer, Halena pulled Ethan into her world climbing trees, sneaking mangoes from the neighbor's orchard, and jumping into the river like she had no fear. Ethan, always cautious, always hesitant, found himself following her lead.

And then summer ended.

As they sat by the river one last time, Halena kicked the water, deep in thought.

> "Let's make a promise," she declared.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "A promise?"

> "Yeah! When we grow up, we'll come back here together. No excuses."

Ethan hesitated. "What if we forget?"

Halena scoffed. "I never forget important things."

She scribbled the promise onto a torn piece of paper, making two copies one for each of them.

> "We'll meet again, okay?"

Ethan nodded. Okay.

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To be continued...