WHEN I WAS 7 YEARS OLD, I CRIED AND SAID I WAS GOING TO MARRY MY NEIGHBOR. I WENT TO A JOB INTERVIEW 15 YEARS LATER — THE GENERAL MANAGER LOOKED AT ME AND SMILED: ‘THE GENERAL MANAGER… DID YOU APPLY TO BE HIS WIFE?

I remained seated, unsure whether I should laugh, cry, or simply run away from the overwhelming emotions that were building inside me.

“You have grown up a lot, Avery,” he said first, breaking the silence with a gentle tone.

Hearing my name from his lips made something inside me tremble in a way that I could not control.

“You too,” I managed to reply, although my voice sounded weaker than I expected.

He stepped closer to the table and admitted that he had recognized me the moment I walked into the room, even though he tried to remain serious.

I smiled slightly and reminded him that he had never been very good at hiding his feelings, even back when we were younger.

He laughed softly and said that I had not been good at hiding mine either, especially when I was seven years old and shouting in the courtyard.

My cheeks turned red as I tried to brush off the memory, but he insisted that he remembered everything clearly, just like everyone else in the neighborhood.

We both laughed together, and the tension in the room slowly began to fade, making it easier for me to ask the question that had been on my mind for years.

“Why did you leave without saying goodbye?” I asked, unable to hide the emotion in my voice.

His expression became serious as he explained that his grandmother had suddenly fallen ill, and everything had happened too quickly for him to process.

After her funeral, he received a scholarship opportunity in another city, and he felt that he had no choice but to leave immediately.

He admitted that he did not know how to say goodbye, and he thought that disappearing would make things easier for me.

“It was not easier,” I said quietly, trying to hold back the emotions that were rising again.

He lowered his head and admitted that he knew it must have been difficult, but he often remembered something whenever he hesitated.

“A little girl who promised me she would work hard,” he said, looking at me with sincerity.

My eyes filled with tears as I told him that I had kept my promise, and he confirmed that he had seen my academic records and achievements.

For a moment, I completely forgot that I was there for a job interview, because everything felt too personal and overwhelming.

“So… did I get the job?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

A playful expression appeared in his eyes as he said that it depended on one important condition.