The Thing That Found Its Way Back

A story for spring.
On what begins again after you stopped waiting

You forgot about it.
Or thought you did.

The door closed,
the phone call ended,
the season passed.

You said your quiet goodbye
and went on—
not bitter, just done.

Then one morning,
it reappears.
Not as it was—
but still familiar,
like the two mourning doves
that found their way back to your garden, unannounced.

You smile,
because you finally can.

Not everything returns to be claimed.
Some things come back
just to show you
you’ve grown enough
to let them.