Laura woke early, around six when the sun steamed through the windows. She’d forgotten to pull the heavy curtains shut before she went to bed. She didn’t mind though. She liked to get up early and was both excited and nervous to explore the city. She dressed and made her way downstairs for breakfast, which was included. There was a table with all kinds of pastries, fresh cut fruit, several quiches, and an assortment of breads and bagels. She helped herself to a cup of black coffee, a bowl of fruit and a bagel with butter. She had the room to herself until she was almost done eating and a lovely older couple, Mavis and Tom Ellis, joined her and said they were from Boston.

“It’s our first time here. Have you been to Charleston before?” Mavis asked as she buttered a thick slice of pecan and raisin toast.

“I lived here when I was young, but I haven’t been back in many years. It feels new to me too,” Laura admitted.

“How fun for you to see where you grew up! If we run into each other at breakfast tomorrow, you’ll have to tell us all about it.”

Laura promised to do so and then left them to enjoy their breakfast. A thought had come to her as she chatted with the older couple and saw how they seemed to adore each other and were so excited to go on a historic tour they had booked. They seemed to be the best of friends and Laura knew that’s what she wanted in a partner too. Someone she could relax and have fun with and adore. She could feel a song building and was anxious to get back to her room and get the words down that matched the images and sounds in her mind.

The next few hours flew as the song came together quickly. When she had it where she wanted it to be, she recorded it on her cellphone, then hit play. As she listened, Laura felt the goosebumps that indicated she’d hit onto something really good. Maybe she’d play it for Cole when she saw him and see what he thought.

At a few minutes to noon, Laura headed downstairs to the lobby to wait for Cole. He was already there and smiled when he saw her.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting?”

“Not at all. I just got here a few minutes ago. Traffic was lighter than I expected.” He glanced around the lobby at the colorful arrangements of flowers scattered throughout the room. The sunlight streaming through the windows warmed the room and highlighted the older furniture that had been lovingly restored. It was an elegant and cozy setting. “Pretty place.”

“It is,” Laura agreed. “I just wrote a song this morning that I kind of like. I’d love to get your opinion on it later. I taped it on my cellphone.”

“I’d love to hear it. I’d be honored to be the first one to listen.”

“I’d love to know what you think of it and you must promise to be completely honest. I want real feedback.”

Cole grinned. “I promise. So, how do you feel about grabbing some sandwiches and having a picnic lunch? There’s a park we used to go to, right near downtown, and maybe we can get an ice-cream after, if we feel like it.”

“That sounds perfect. There’s a place a few doors down that has sandwiches.”

“Lead the way.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they reached the park and Laura followed Cole to a large tree that had a bench beside it. Laura was happily surprised that it looked familiar and she could feel that she’d been there before. The sun was shining and there was no wind, so it was nice and warm as they sat eating their turkey sandwiches. Cole pointed out various landmarks as they ate, a bookstore on the corner that Laura spend many hours in, the pizza shop they used to buy slices at and the ice cream store.

“I wonder if they have almond fudge chip?” Laura asked.

Cole laughed. “They do. That was always your favorite.”

“Really? That’s a good sign then. And this all looks vaguely familiar to me, kind of a déjà vu feeling.”

“Do you remember this?” Cole pointed to a rough carving on the tree next to them. A heart with their initials inside.”

“You did that?”

“I did. We were crazy about each other then.”

Laura felt a rush of emotion and sadness for what they’d both lost. It wasn’t hard to imagine being in love with Cole. She felt so comfortable with him and her heart ached for their teen-aged selves.

“I wish I could remember more. It feels like it’s starting to come back though, slowly.”

Cole gathered up their empty sandwich wraps and tossed them in the trash can behind their bench. “So, now that we’ve eaten, let’s hear your song, and then if you have room, we can go get that ice cream.”

Laura pulled her cell phone out of her purse and found the recording. She suddenly felt shy as she hit play. She always did when anyone heard a song of hers for the first time. It was hard to know what people would like and sometimes she knew she was too close to it to be objective. As the song played, she relaxed. It still sounded pretty good. And not for the first time, she felt a wave of sadness that Cole was married. If fate had brought them back together, it seemed like a cruel twist for both of them to be with other people—though, she was single now and had no plans to rush into a relationship with anyone anytime soon.

The sound of clapping snapped Laura out of her daydreaming. Cole was holding his hand up to high five her and he looked excited. She slapped her hand against his as he began speaking.

“That was phenomenal. I think maybe your best song yet. It’s going to pull on people’s heartstrings.”

“Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it. Is there anything you’d want to change?” Laura often got her best tweaks to a song after people made suggestions and once she implemented them, it made the song even better.

Cole thought about it for a moment. “It’s pretty perfect, but there was one thing I thought of. What if you went a little softer at the midpoint and then let it build a little more at the end? Might be a more powerful finish.”

Laura knew he was right. She could hear the adjustment in her mind and knew it was the right finishing touch.

“I’ll do that, thanks.”

“So, are you ready for that ice cream?”

* * *

They got their ice cream cones, almond fudge chip for her and pistachio for him, and then strolled along the busy street as they ate them, stopping now and then to peek in the windows of different shops. They went back to Cole’s truck after that and spent the rest of the afternoon sight-seeing.

He took her all over town to all the places they used to go. Some places felt more familiar than others. When they went to Folly Beach to the spot where they used to always go, Laura felt the same bittersweetness that she’d felt at the tree. She could feel that they spent a lot of time at that beach and it was important to them. It was a beautiful place and she couldn’t resist walking barefoot on the sand and dipping her toes in the water.

When they left the beach, Cole said the last stops would be the high school they attended and the trailer park where she used to live with her mother. They drove by the high school first and Laura was surprised by the rush of memories that swept over her as she looked at the familiar school. She’d been happy there. It was confusing to have so many memories filling her up at once. It made her head ache, and she pressed one hand against her temple.

“Are you okay?” Cole sounded concerned.

She smiled and tried not to show how shaken she was. “I’m fine. It just took me by surprise because it looked so familiar. That hasn’t really happened yet.”

“Are you sure you want to go to your mother’s place today? We can put it off if you want.”

“No, I’m sure. I want to go there. I feel like I need to.”

Cole nodded. “Okay then. It’s right around the corner. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Laura held her breath as Cole turned onto Sutton Street. As soon as she saw the street sign, she recognized it. Cole pulled into the trailer park and slowed down as he reached number eighteen. There was a cheerful older woman sitting on the patio drinking a cup of coffee while a skinny orange cat walked in figure eights around her feet. She smiled and looked at them curiously when they got out of the truck.

“Can I help you? Are you looking for someone that lives in the park?” she asked.

“No, we’re just passing through,” Cole said.

“I used to live here, in your unit. Years ago,” Laura told her.

The woman looked delighted to hear it. “You did? How marvelous. Would you like a look around? I’ve redecorated in my style, but I haven’t really changed anything. It was in very good condition. I’m Betty, by the way.”

“I’m Laura and this is Cole. I’d love a look around, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all. I welcome the company. It’s quiet around here during the day. Come on in.”

Laura and Cole followed her inside and as she showed them around, chattering all the while, Laura felt a little fuzzy as if she was in a dream walking around. She remembered living here, and when Laura stepped into her old bedroom, she felt light-headed as a deluge of memories crashed down on her. All kinds of images and feelings all at once; it was overwhelming. She swayed and Cole put his hand on her arm to steady her.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

She nodded, but when Cole took her hand to lead her out of the room, she gripped onto it tightly. When they went into Betty’s bedroom, her mother’s old room, Laura’s eyes welled up and the sadness was almost more than she could bear. She fought back the tears and tried to gather herself together. She didn’t want to fall apart in front of Betty or Cole. She could do that later when she was alone in her room and could figure out how she was going to deal with everything that she remembered. Because now, she remembered it all. She remembered being in love with Cole. She glanced at his sweet concerned face and wanted to burrow herself in his arms, to hold tight and never let go. But she knew that wasn’t possible.