**Evening Reunion**
Lisa was the most unassuming girl in her class, or at least that’s what she thought. Short, slender, and with red hair—Lisa was self-conscious about her appearance, enviously eyeing her blonde, blue-eyed classmates.
“Dear, you’ll blossom like a rosebud one day,” her mother comforted her. “I didn’t start looking like a young lady until I was sixteen. So, take your time; you’ll win hearts yet. You’re only thirteen now.”
“Mom, I’m not rushing,” Lisa would reply, lowering her lashes, though her green eyes told a different story. She would gaze sadly at her reflection in the mirror and sigh.
For a long time, she had a crush on a boy from the parallel class named Victor. Athletic, tall, and cheerful, his adventurous spirit seemed more reckless than anything. Watching the boys play basketball during gym class, Lisa would focus on Victor. His enthusiasm and energy would invigorate the entire team, usually leading them to victory.
Even if Victor wasn’t as handsome as he was, Lisa would still fancy him, yet his striking looks gave her no hope of befriending such a popular figure.
Surrounded by friends at all times, Victor was never alone. Despite that, fleeting exchanges in the corridor still brought joy to Lisa. But her self-doubt would betray her; as soon as they were close, she’d look away almost immediately…
Lisa kept her childhood crush a secret, though she felt as if the entire world knew it. The very thought of being laughed at by classmates, or worse, Victor himself, made her blush.
Determined to forget about the handsome boy, Lisa decided to pay him no attention and stop thinking about him altogether. Initially, it was difficult, but willpower eventually prevailed, leaving Lisa calm and a bit proud of herself.
“The key is to avoid him,” she would whisper to herself. At school, spotting the object of her admiration, she’d quickly turn away or blend into the crowd.
Two years passed. Lisa excelled in her studies, grew taller, and gradually shed her self-consciousness, as her mother had predicted: Lisa blossomed into a graceful, slender young woman over the summer.
After eighth grade, Lisa moved on to a technical college. She learned about Victor and her former classmates from her occasional chats with her old class tutor, Mrs. Thomas, who happened to live on Lisa’s street.
Lisa never attended school reunions, as her class wasn’t particularly close and she had no school friends to speak of. It was only once, on Mrs. Thomas’s anniversary, that Lisa decided to go and congratulate her favorite teacher.
It had been thirty years since their class graduation. The reunion was moving, as many hadn’t seen each other since school days. Even the parallel class students were present.
Lisa was startled to see Victor. Tall and distinguished, with some gray hair and a neat beard, he barely resembled the daring boy she remembered. Yet the look in his eyes remained the same—those lively, sparkling eyes.
The assembly hall was buzzing with chatter. After congratulating Mrs. Thomas, the group clustered and caught up with one another, hugging each other often.
Lisa was taken aback when Victor strolled over to her, grinning widely.
“And here’s my secret school crush… Lisa.”
He bowed slightly, kissing Lisa’s hand. Despite the decades past, Lisa blushed.
“A crush? Me?” she blurted out, “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
Both burst into laughter. Of course, everyone was now settled with families and children, including Victor and Lisa themselves.
Victor and Lisa stood aside, and he told her about his job, family, and son.
“I have a son too,” Lisa said, just as she had hoped. She sighed and, glancing at Victor, suddenly asked,
“But tell me, why? Why did I appeal to you? I was the shyest, the quietest… not to mention plain-looking…”
“That was precisely it. You didn’t want to be with me like everyone else. You always passed by with your head held high… I never dared approach you. Proud but appealing. Though now, that’s just a sweet memory of youth.”
“And I liked you just as much, I can’t even tell you everything,” Lisa blurted out, “but it was impossible to break through your entourage… There’s no way I’d approach you first. But indeed, it was just a childhood infatuation.”
“Who knows…” Victor mused, “maybe we unknowingly missed something in life.”
“Possibly,” Lisa chuckled, “Maybe we’ll meet in the next one. In another lifetime…”
“I’ll look for your green eyes,” Victor whispered with a wistful smile. It was clear that he was entranced by Lisa, for she truly had become a beauty. A late bloomer, just as her mother had once said.
Suddenly, Lisa heard someone call her.
“Mom! Dad and I have come to pick you up, just like you asked…”
A young man was making his way through the crowd toward Lisa and Victor.
“Meet my son,” Lisa said with a grin.
“Victor,” offered Lisa’s son as he shook hands with enthusiasm.
“Victor Johnson,” Victor replied, extending his hand with surprise, tenderness, and bewilderment in his gaze.
Lisa waved and headed for the exit, with Victor catching up with her at the school’s doorway.
“Listen, Lisa…” he said with emotional eyes, “Thank you…”
“For what?” Lisa asked, puzzled.
“For the son. Another Victor is growing. Thank you for remembering…”
Lisa nodded before getting into the car’s backseat.
Lisa’s husband asked, “So, how did it go?”
“It went well,” Lisa replied, “Plenty of folks showed up. It was nice to see them. A bit sad, of course. Time changes us… I’m happy for Mrs. Thomas. A heroic teacher. May she have the strength to touch many more students’ lives…”
