The Reunion Evening
Emily always thought of herself as the plainest girl in class. At least, that’s how she felt. Short, slender, and with fiery red hair… Emily was self-conscious about her appearance, often envying the blond-haired, blue-eyed classmates around her.
“Sweetheart, you’ll blossom like a rosebud,” her mother reassured her. “I also looked like a little girl until I was about sixteen. So don’t rush, and you’ll have the boys enchanted soon enough. You’re only thirteen now.”
“But Mom, I’m not in a hurry,” Emily would say, lowering her eyelashes, though her green eyes would betray her true feelings. She would gaze sadly at her reflection in the mirror and sigh.
She had a crush on a boy in the parallel class — Tom. Athletic, tall, and cheerful. His daring in games and antics bordered on recklessness. Watching the boys play basketball during gym, Emily couldn’t help but focus on Tom. His energy and enthusiasm fired up the entire team, ensuring victory.
Even if Tom weren’t so handsome, Emily would still have liked him, but his striking looks gave her no hope of befriending such a leader.
Besides, Tom was always surrounded by friends, both boys and girls — it was impossible to get close. He was never alone, always the center of a lively group. But even the brief encounters during the breaks in the school corridors brought joy to Emily. Yet, her insecurities always got the best of her. As soon as she was close to Tom, she would glance at him and immediately look away…
Emily told no one about her childhood crush, but it seemed to her that the whole world could see and knew her secret, making her blush at the thought that her classmates, or even worse, Tom himself, might laugh at her…
So, she decided to forget about the charming Tom, to try and ignore him completely. Initially, this was hard, but with determination, Emily calmed down and began to feel proud of herself.
“The main thing is to keep my distance,” she would whisper to herself. Whenever she spotted Tom at school, she would quickly turn the other way or try to slip away behind her peers.
Two years passed. Emily excelled in her studies, grew taller, and gradually shed her shyness because her mother’s predictions came true: over one summer, Emily transformed from an awkward girl into a graceful young woman.
After finishing Year Eight, Emily moved on to a college. She heard about Tom and other classmates occasionally through her former teacher, Mrs. Smith, who happened to live on the same street.
Emily rarely attended school reunions. Her class was never particularly close-knit, so she had few school friends. But once, when the class gathered for a reunion to celebrate Mrs. Smith’s milestone, Emily decided to go, eager to congratulate her beloved teacher.
Thirty years had passed since their class graduated! The reunion was poignant, as many hadn’t seen each other since their school days, and even students from parallel classes attended.
Emily was startled to see Tom. A tall, distinguished man with silver streaks in his hair and a neat beard, he barely resembled the reckless boy from before, except for his eyes — they were the same bright, lively eyes of Tom.
The assembly hall buzzed with noise. After the tributes to Mrs. Smith, people mingled in groups, chatting and embracing each other.
Emily was taken aback when Tom approached her with a wide smile:
“And here’s my secret school crush… Emily.”
He gave a slight bow and kissed Emily’s hand as if no time had passed — Emily blushed.
“Crush? Me?” she exclaimed, “Why am I only hearing this now?”
Both laughed. Most of them, including Tom and Emily, had settled into family life with children of their own.
Standing aside, Tom shared tales of his work, family, and son with Emily.
“I also have a son,” Emily responded, just as she’d hoped. She sighed, gazed at Tom, and unexpectedly asked:
“But tell me, why? Why did you like me? I was the quietest, the shyest… and not at all beautiful.”
“That’s precisely why. You never sought me out like the others. You walked by with your head held high… I couldn’t even think of approaching you. Proud. But I was smitten. Though now, it’s just a sweet memory of youth.”
“And I liked you just as much. I can’t even begin to tell you…” Emily blurted out, “But breaking through your entourage was impossible… and I couldn’t make the first move. But really, it was nothing more than a childhood fancy.”
“Who knows…” Tom mused, “Perhaps we unwittingly missed something in our lives.”
“Maybe,” Emily laughed, “Perhaps we’ll meet in another time. In another life…”
“I’ll be looking for those green eyes,” Tom whispered with a wistful smile. Emily was indeed beautiful. A late bloomer, just as her mother had once said.
Suddenly, someone called out to Emily.
“Mum! Dad and I are here to pick you up, just like you asked…”
A young man was making his way through the crowd toward Emily and Tom.
“Meet my son…” Emily introduced with a smile.
“I’m Thomas,” Emily’s son cheerfully offered his hand.
“Thomas,” Tom extended his hand warmly in return. He looked at Emily with surprise, tenderness, and a hint of confusion.
Emily waved goodbye and headed toward the exit. At the school’s threshold, Tom caught up with her.
“Listen, Emily…” he began, looking at her with misty eyes, “Thank you…”
“For what?” Emily asked, surprised.
“For our son. Another Tom in the world. Thank you for the memories…”
Emily nodded. She approached the car and sat in the back seat.
Emily’s husband asked, “How was it?”
“It went well,” Emily replied, “Many of the old friends came. It was nice to see everyone. A bit bittersweet, of course. Time changes us… I’m glad for Mrs. Smith. A heroic teacher. May she have many more years of good health and generations of students…”
