Chapter 4

Four

Elena

The warm Sunday sun shone down as I settled into the bleachers. The soft chatter around me blended with the crack of bats and the cheers from parents. Jake sat with his team, his arm in a wrist brace, but his face lit up with enthusiasm as he cheered for his teammates. It was a relief to see him so spirited after the scare he had at school last week—and even more comforting to know that my old car had only needed a new battery. Today, I could sit here with a sense of ease, at least for a little while.

Spending an afternoon at the game was refreshing because there were no deadlines, no clients, and no reminders of the mysteries that had popped up in my life. It was just me, Jake, and the simplicity of a sunny day. I let my shoulders relax, sinking into the feeling.

“Hey, Ellie!” a familiar voice called, breaking me from my thoughts.

I turned to see Sarah and Nikki making their way up the bleachers, both with their usual warm smiles and bags of snacks in hand. They plopped beside me, instantly making themselves comfortable, as though this was our regular Sunday ritual.

“Well, well,” Sarah began, nudging me with a grin. “You look a little too relaxed today. Spill the tea, Ellie. How’d the date with Luke go?”

“Oh, here we go,” I laughed, rolling my eyes but feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “It was nice! We had dinner and watched a movie—kept it simple.”

“And?” Nikki pressed, leaning in with her eyes glinting. “Did you like him? Are we talking second-date material?”

I shrugged, trying to keep my smile from spreading too much. “Maybe. He was easy to talk to. I actually enjoyed myself.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow, exchanging a look with Nikki. “So… he might see you more often at the gym?”

“Well, that was my plan,” I admitted with a laugh. “Since he owns the place, I’ll ‘bump into’ him during my workouts.”

They both burst into laughter, nudging me on either side. “Look at you, Ellie,” Nikki teased, grinning. “Setting up a whole workout schedule around a guy. Haven’t seen this side of you in ages!”

I chuckled, feeling a little thrill I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was nice to have something—or someone—to look forward to, even if it was just a casual date. I’d kept my focus so much on Jake and the salon that letting myself enjoy a little excitement felt like a luxury.

Jake’s voice rang out from the team bench, pulling my attention back to the field. He was encouraging his teammate at bat, his face lighting up every time the crowd cheered. He seemed to feel right at home here, his usual shyness gone, replaced by an infectious excitement.

“So, I have to ask…” I began, feeling a bit hesitant but pushing myself to continue, “Do you two remember that guy who came into the salon earlier in the week? His name was Cory.”

Sarah’s brows lifted, and Nikki’s expression turned curious. “Yeah, I remember. He was cute! Why?”

I shifted in my seat, glancing back at the field to avoid their eyes. “I know this sounds strange, but… he seemed really familiar. Like, I couldn’t shake this feeling that I’d seen him before.”

Nikki leaned in, giving me a nudge. “Are you saying he’s a long-lost crush?”

“Not quite,” I said, laughing softly. “But… well, he reminded me of my high school boyfriend, CJ.”

Sarah tilted her head, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “Now that you mention it, I think he did have that ‘high school sweetheart’ kind of vibe.”

“Maybe... but.” I felt a strange sensation settle in my stomach, equal parts excitement and unease. “It’s probably just a weird coincidence. I mean, he’s obviously not the same guy. He’s much more muscular than CJ was back in the day.”

“Back in the day? People do mature, you know,” Sarah teased.

Hold up,” Nikki said, a mischievous smile curved her lips. “Did he pay with a card? Because if he did, we could check his full name on the salon system. You know, just to satisfy your curiosity.”

I felt a flicker of hesitation but also a growing urge to know. “Actually… he did pay with a card,” I admitted. “I guess we could check. Just to be sure, right?”

Sarah grinned, giving me a wink. “Right. After the game, we’ll swing by the salon. Consider it a little field investigation. Besides, this is a small town. We’re practically obligated to investigate coincidences.”

I laughed, feeling my own curiosity spark to life. The thought of this stranger sharing a name—and something more—with my high school boyfriend was too strange to ignore.

After the game, we waved goodbye to Jake’s team and walked back toward the salon, Sarah and Nikki chattering about the game while I tried to focus on anything other than the growing curiosity. I felt a bit silly—this was just some stranger who’d come in for a haircut, after all. But something about him kept tugging at me, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to let it go until I knew for sure.

I spotted Jake lingering near the door of the salon texting someone. “Hey, Jake,” I called, gesturing down the street. “Why don’t you head to the pizza place and grab us a table? We’ll be there in just a minute.”

He grinned and took off, excited for the promise of food. Once he was out of sight, Sarah and Nikki gave me understanding looks, and I relaxed. Now, without his curious eyes, I could finally be candid.

“All right, let’s check this out,” I said, giving them a sheepish smile as I logged into the computer. “I mean, this is ridiculous, right? This Cory guy is probably just a lookalike.”

“Or a head fate,” Nikki murmured with a smirk, folding her arms as she leaned over the counter.

“Hey, you never know,” Sarah added, though her voice held a trace of something gentler. She glanced at me, then carefully over her shoulder to make sure Jake hadn’t come back. She lowered her voice, her expression softening. “Ellie… if this is him, is this the high school sweetheart? Jake’s father?”

I froze for a moment, her words hitting harder than I’d expected. Jake’s father. It wasn’t a phrase I heard often—not out loud, anyway. But I nodded, keeping my voice low. “Yeah. CJ was… well, he was everything back then. But I’ve never told Jake. And if this is just some random guy, I’d rather leave it that way.”

They both nodded, respect in their eyes, and I felt grateful that they understood. Jake didn’t know his father, didn’t even know his name. As far as he was concerned, his dad was a blank slate—a decision I’d made a long time ago, knowing we would have a conversation one day, but this changed everything.

“All right, let’s see,” I muttered, scrolling down the list of recent clients until I spotted the transaction.

The name popped up on the screen—Cory James Harrison—and my breath caught. Harrison. That was CJ’s last name. I stared at it, half-expecting the letters to rearrange themselves into something different. But no, it was there, plain as day.

“Oh my God,” Nikki whispered, leaning in with wide eyes. “It really is him, isn’t it?”

My hands felt numb, hovering over the keyboard as I took it in. Cory Harrison. He’d always gone by CJ, never Cory. The memories came flooding back—prom night, summer afternoons by the creek, the secret dreams we’d shared before he’d gone off to join the military. And just like that, the past felt like it was colliding with the present in a way I couldn’t ignore.

Sarah placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Ellie, are you… okay?”

I nodded, though my heart was pounding. “Yeah, it’s just… it’s been years. I never thought I’d see him again, let alone have him walk into my salon.”

Nikki let out a low whistle, a mix of disbelief and excitement in her expression. “Talk about a twist. And you’re seeing Luke, too. Girl, it’s like the universe just threw you into a love triangle.”

I let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through my hair. “Well, let’s not get carried away. I haven’t even talked to him since high school. He probably doesn’t even remember me.”

“Are you kidding?” Sarah shook her head, giving me a look of disbelief. “You were his high school sweetheart. If he doesn’t remember you, he must have a memory like a sieve.”

Glancing out the window, my gaze drifted down the street, landing on the neon sign of the pizza shop. The weight of my discovery settled in my chest, and a whirlwind of feelings stirred inside me—a blend of anticipation tinged with apprehension, all underlined by a fragile strand of confusion.

Sarah’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Ellie, if this is really your long-lost love… are you going to tell him? About Jake?”

I shook my head slowly, feeling the familiar conflict rise within me. “I don’t know. He’s got a life of his own now, probably a family, a career. And Jake… he’s content with the way things are. I don’t want to disrupt his life, or Cory’s, for that matter.”

Nikki gave me a sympathetic smile. “Maybe he’s not the same guy he was back then. Or maybe… he’s exactly the same. Either way, I think you owe it to yourself to find out.”

The idea lingered in my mind like a half-formed wish. I had no idea what Cory’s life looked like now, whether he’d stayed that kind, adventurous boy I’d loved or if time had shaped him into someone different. Perhaps he was even married. But something inside me whispered that I had to know. For Jake. And maybe for myself, too.

“Yeah,” I said quietly, almost to myself. “Maybe I do.”

By the time we arrived at the pizza parlor, Jake had already snagged a booth near the window, waving us over with excitement. He looked as happy as a clam, settled in with a menu in hand and eyes wide with anticipation.

“Hey, Mom! I already picked out what I want,” he said, barely containing himself as he pointed to the menu. “Can we get the one with all the toppings?”

I laughed, sliding in beside him. “You got it. And maybe a side of breadsticks, too?”

“Sweet!” He gave me a high-five, his face lighting up with that unrestrained excitement only kids could pull off. I cherished these moments, knowing how quickly he was growing up and how soon he’d be asking for rides to the pizza place with friends instead of me.

Sarah and Nikki slid into the seats across from us; their faces lit with curiosity as we placed our orders. When the pizza arrived, Jake dove in enthusiastically. For a few blissful moments, I managed to push aside my swirling thoughts about CJ—the boy I’d once loved and tried so hard to forget—now transformed into the man—Cory. Instead, I focused on the laughter and conversation around the table, letting the moment settle over me.

A few of Jake’s teammates wandered into the parlor, their chatter filling the space. They spotted Jake immediately, giving him playful waves and thumbs-up from their own table nearby. He looked thrilled to be surrounded by his friends, chatting animatedly about the game as if he’d been on the field the entire time.

I watched him interact, feeling a pang of pride and an odd twinge of… nostalgia. Maybe it was that glimpse of his father’s mannerisms I’d caught at the game earlier, or maybe it was my newfound knowledge that Cory was back. But seeing Jake here, laughing with his friends, I couldn’t help but wonder if Cory would recognize the similarities I saw and if he’d catch the same echoes of his younger self in Jake’s smile.

A few hours later, after Jake was tucked into bed, I found myself sitting alone on the couch. The dim glow of the table lamp cast a soft light across the room. The house felt still, filled only with the quiet drone of the cicadas outside—a stark contrast to the noise in my head.

I leaned back, my eyes drifting to the framed photo on the bookshelf. It showed Jake on his seventh birthday, grinning with a gap-toothed smile as he held up a homemade cake. His resemblance to Cory was subtle but unmistakable, and I wondered what Cory would think if he saw it.

The thought made my chest tighten. I’d spent years building a life where Jake and I were a team, a small but sturdy unit. I’d always put off telling him about his father, believing it was simpler for him to live without that knowledge. And yet… now that Cory was back, even if only by chance, the question had resurfaced, refusing to be ignored.

I thought about my date with Luke, the easy laughter, and the possibility of something new. But the feelings Cory had stirred up couldn’t be brushed aside so easily. That spark I’d thought had burned out all those years ago hadn’t gone out; it had just been waiting, buried under years of quiet routines and cautious decisions.

Sighing, I pushed myself up from the couch and switched off the lamp. The darkness settled around me, and I wished, for the first time in a long time, that I wasn’t facing it all alone.

Tomorrow, I’ll see what the day brings .

Maybe nothing would change, or maybe everything would. But whatever happened, I knew decisions were waiting for me—decisions that might change everything for me, for Jake, and for the life we’d built.