My Brother's Best Friend

Criss Since she was only eight, Criss had been secretly in love with her brother Leo's best friend. He would always come over, play with Leo, and barely notice the little girl who followed them everywhere with a smile. To him, Criss was just "Leo's little sister." But to her... he was her first love. Years passed. Criss grew up, changed, and stopped being the shy girl hiding behind the door to watch him arrive. However, one day he stopped visiting. University, work, and life made him drift away completely. So much time passed that Criss decided to forget him. She tried to fall for others, go out with friends, and move on, but every time she heard his name, a part of her remembered those days. Meanwhile, he had changed too. Life hadn't been as simple as he imagined. He had lost friends, ended relationships, and realized that there were people truly worth keeping... even if he had left them behind. Five years later, Leo organized a party for his birthday. When Criss walked into the backyard, she stood completely still. There he was. Taller, more mature, and with the same smile she had never been able to forget. He stared back at her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. —"Criss...?" he asked, surprised. —"Hi... Long time no see." Throughout the night, they couldn't stop catching each other's eyes. It seemed they both had a thousand things to say, but neither found the courage. However, before they could talk, a young woman appeared and took Leo's best friend by the arm. —"Honey, shall we go?" Criss felt a lump in her throat. She smiled to mask it, said goodbye to everyone, and left before anyone noticed she was about to cry. She thought that was the last time she would see him. But destiny had other plans. Months later, they met by chance at a coffee shop. He was alone. —"May I sit?" he asked. Criss accepted. They talked for hours, remembering anecdotes, laughing like before, and catching up. That was when he confessed that his relationship had ended months ago and that, since Leo's party, he hadn't stopped thinking about her. —"I don't know when you stopped being my best friend's little sister... I just know that when I saw you again, I realized I had wasted many years." Criss smiled nervously. —"I never stopped thinking about you." The two sat in silence. This time there was no rush, no secrets, no years of distance. Just two people who, after a long time, decided to give themselves the chance that life had denied them.