An unexpected invite from an old college pal came with a bigger surprise, a blast from the past that he’d neither expected nor was prepared for. The last time he’d seen her, a wreck in his sister house, coming down from too much booze and drugs resulting in an impromptu hospital visit he couldn’t afford. But that was FOUR years ago, cleaned up now, sober, a graduate -- making real money, still true to his roots living in his own little place in the southside, his dreams big enough but still never really having saw himself leaving Chicago.
And she still has that affect on him, stopped dead in his tracks, the smile freeze frame of his face when he comes face to face with Mandy Milkovich, “ shit -- Mandy -- what are you doin’ here? ” surprise colouring his features as he takes her in, every bit as beautiful as she’d been stood in his living room that day, teeth dig into his lower lip, tongue running along the seam of his mouth, in nervous habit, pointing to the camera, it clicking into place why she was here, “ you a photographer now? ” pride stirring in his chest, because fuck it if he hadn’t wanted SOMETHING good for her, even if he couldn’t have been the one to give her it.