Meeting Everybody

Steven smiled and made his way through the crowd, nodding at the familiar faces of neighbors and family friends. “Dad!” Trisha called out, waving him over. “Come meet my friends!”

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He had worked hard to ensure everything was perfect, from the lavish decorations to the gourmet catering. But as he approached Trisha and her group of friends, something unsettling crept up his spine. “This is my dad!” Trisha said proudly, introducing him to her friends one by one. “Dad, this is Kelly, Amanda, and Alicia.”

One Friend

The kind father greeted each girl and thanked them for coming. But Steven’s smile froze as his eyes met Alicia’s. There was something about her, something in her eyes that triggered a deep, buried memory. She looked so familiar, but he couldn’t place her.

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Suddenly, a flashback hit him like a ton of bricks. The image of a young woman, her eyes filled with a mixture of joy and fear, surfaced in his mind.

Only This Girl

He noticed one girl in the group, a petite brunette with striking blue eyes. There was something unsettlingly familiar about her. As Trisha introduced her as Alicia, Steven’s breath caught in his throat. A cold shiver ran down his spine. He looked at Alicia closely, his mind racing. Where had he seen her before? The more he stared, the more the memory came rushing back.

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Suddenly, he was no longer in the present. He was back in that small town twenty years ago, a time he had tried so hard to forget. The memories flashed before his eyes—an affair, a scandal, and a decision that changed his life forever. Alicia was the spitting image of a woman he once knew, a woman whose name he hadn’t spoken in years. He felt his stomach churn.

She Looks Like Somebody I Know

Trisha’s voice faded into the background as Steven tried to compose himself. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Alicia’s face was connected to a part of his past he had long tried to forget.

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“Are you okay, Mr. Mayer?” Alicia asked, her voice snapping him back to the present. “Uh, yes, of course,” Steven replied, his voice strained. “It’s nice to meet you, Alicia.” As the girls giggled and talked, Steven’s thoughts drifted back to his college days, to a relationship that had ended abruptly and painfully.

Out Of Sorts

Steven’s hands began to tremble as he struggled to maintain his composure. The noise of the party faded into the background, replaced by the pounding of his own heart. “Dad, are you sure you’re, okay?” Trisha asked, noticing the tension in his face. “I’m fine, sweetheart,” Steven said, forcing a smile. “Just need some air.”

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He had to get out of there. “Excuse me,” he mumbled, barely able to get the words out before he turned on his heel and walked briskly toward the exit.

Taking It In

Outside, the cool night air hit him like a splash of cold water. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but the memories continued to swirl in his mind.

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What was she doing here? Why now? He leaned against a tree, his mind spinning with questions that had no easy answers. All he wanted was to be a good father to Trisha, to protect her from the mistakes of his past. But now, it seemed like the past had caught up to him.