The Childhood Crush

They were your first flutter. The first person who made your stomach drop, who appeared in daydreams before you understood what daydreams meant. Years later, the memory softened but never faded. Now they're standing in front of you — older, sharper, more beautiful than the version you remembered. The childhood crush grown up is devastating because the wanting preceded understanding. Your body learned desire through them before your mind had a word for it.