THE MEETING PLACE CANNOT BE CHANGED.
Lucy strolled slowly along the pond, nearing the spot where theyd promised to meet. She was certain he wouldnt show, but a stubborn little hope still flickered in her chest.
The biting wind did its best to discourage her, sneaking under her coat and chilling her to the bone, as if whispering, *”Be sensiblego home where its warm.”*
Admittedly, the chances of a ten-year-old boy named Harry remembering a rendezvous set exactly twenty years ago were slim. Too much water had passed under the bridge since then.
But what if he *hadnt* forgotten?
Her mind drifted back to those carefree childhood days, the memories so vivid they might as well have been yesterday.
Races from *”the footbridge to the little island,”* endless games of tag and hide-and-seek, burrs clinging stubbornly to her dress, Harrys perpetually scuffed knees…
That reckless boy collected scrapes and bruises like trophiessometimes, Lucy suspected, on purpose. He always wore such a smug grin whenever she carefully patched him up.
One afternoon, as she sat by the pond watching Harry clown around near the island with its inexplicably solitary tree, he slipped and tumbled straight into the water.
*”What on earth will you be like in twenty years?”* Lucy sighed, shaking her head. *”Will you grow up, or stay just as daft?”*
*”Dunno,”* Harry grinned, dripping wet as he scrambled onto the bank. *”But you? Dead obvious. Youll be a doctor. A brilliant one.”*
*”Well see,”* Lucy shrugged. *”Havent really thought about it…”*
Then, inspiration struck him like a bolt from the blue.
*”Oi! Lets meet here in twenty years!”* he crowed, eyes shining. *”Same spot, same time20th of April 2022, three oclock sharp. Then well see who was right!”*
*”Alright,”* Lucy laughed. *”Deal. But no changing the plan, or well never find each other!”*
From then on, it was their secret jokeevery now and then, one would test the other: *”Still remember the date?”* That promised meeting etched itself into both their hearts.
Years passed. Childhood friendship quietly bloomed into something deeper. Lucy caught Harry watching her more often, his usual mischief replaced by a thoughtful, almost grown-up gaze.
Then, halfway through secondary school, Harrys fathera military engineerwas abruptly transferred to some remote post in the Highlands, where even phone signals were dodgy. Just like that, they were parted.
At their last meeting, words failed them. Fidgeting awkwardly, Harry finally managed a strained joke:
*”Dont forget 2022, yeah? The meeting place cant be changed.”*
At first, the emptiness ached. Life felt dull, colourless without him. To escape it, Lucy skipped sixth form and enrolled in nursing college.
Why nursing? She couldnt say. Maybe because Harry had called it. Not that it mattered.
New friends, new routines pulled her through. She buried herself in studies, determined to master her craft.
College, university, specialist trainingnearly a decade slipped by. Now, three years into her job at a private practice, Harrys prediction had come true.
*”Successful doctor, hopeless love life,”* Lucy muttered, shivering as she checked her watch. Five to three. Shed be on time.
Despite expecting disappointment, her pulse fluttered faster with each step. Thenthe island came into view. Only a couple of hardy dog walkers braved the path today. *Who else would be mad enough to come out in this weather?*
Her heart lurched. A man in camouflage and a beret sat on the bank, studying the island intently.
*”Harry?”* The name escaped in a whisper.
He spun around, jumping to his feetbut no. A stranger. Her stomach dropped.
*”Youre Lucy?”* The soldier smiled.
She nodded silently.
*”SorryHarry couldnt make it,”* he said briskly. *”Hes deployed. Asked me to tell you he never forgot. Said hell find you when hes back.”*
Lucys heart hammered. She fumbled in her bag, handing the soldier her business card.
*”Give him this. So he knows where to look. And tell him Ill wait. However long it takes.”*
*”Will do,”* he nodded solemnly. *”Means a lot to him.”*
With a quick salute, he strode off toward the bus stop.
Lucy stood motionless, oblivious to the winds icy teeth. Warmth spread through her chest.
Shed wait. Of course she would.
The meeting place couldnt be changed.
