I'm going to have dinner with a friend I haven't seen in 3 years.

I'm a college senior now, and this friend is from junior high. The last time we talked was back in June 2022, when she just asked me which college I was going to, and mentioned maybe visiting my city to hang out. Since then, nothing—no messages, no calls.

Yesterday I posted an IG story saying I'm going to delay graduation, and out of nowhere she replied, saying she's delaying too. When we chatted, it honestly felt like those 3 years didn't even happen—like it was just one long class, and now we're back at break time.

Sometimes I wonder why life doesn't let you reload a save and replay those fragments. I don't feel ready to step into the next stage of my life, but time just keeps moving forward, never stopping.