Olinda sat on a weathered wooden bench, her eyes following Herby as he played catch with his little sister, Kaira. The sun cast a warm glow over the park, and the laughter of children mingled with the rustling leaves. Yet, Olinda's heart felt a twinge of jealousy as Herby turned to talk to a girl from their neighborhood. "I wish I could be the one he's laughing with," she thought, her fingers absentmindedly plucking at the daisies beside her.

Olinda remembered the day she first met Herby. She was twelve, and he was a gangly, awkward teenager who stumbled upon them as they played by the river. His shy smile and kind eyes had captivated her even then. That summer, the three of them had spent countless hours exploring the woods and sharing ice creams on lazy afternoons. "Herby's really special, isn't he?" Kaira had said, tossing a smooth pebble into the water. "Yeah," Olinda had replied, her cheeks flushing pink at the memory.

Olinda watched as Herby and the girl walked together, their voices a soft murmur against the backdrop of the park. Her heart tightened with a mix of hope and despair. Would he ever see her in the same way she saw him? The uncertainty gnawed at her, but she couldn't help but dream of what could be. "If only I could tell him," she whispered to herself, the words lost in the gentle breeze.

As Olinda stood to leave, Herby approached, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the fireflies. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a rush of warmth spread through her. "Hey, Olinda," he said, his voice gentle and familiar. "Hi, Herby," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Herby hesitated for a moment, then sat beside Olinda. The silence between them was comfortable, filled with unspoken words and shared memories. "I've been meaning to ask," Herby began, his eyes meeting hers, "do you ever think about those summers we spent together?" Olinda felt a flutter of hope. "All the time," she admitted, her heart racing with possibilities.

Herby smiled, a genuine, warm smile that made Olinda's heart swell. "Maybe we should make some new memories?" he suggested, his voice tinged with hope. Olinda nodded, her heart light with the promise of what could be. "I'd like that," she replied, her voice filled with newfound courage. As they walked together under the starry sky, Olinda felt a sense of peace. Perhaps this was the beginning of something she had always dreamed of.