Playmates: Wait For Me -

Then came the summer before college. The air was thick with the scent of cut grass and the looming silence of departure. Leo was headed west for engineering; Maya was staying local for art.

Leo sat down beside her, breathless from the walk from the station, looking at the girl who had been his anchor since they were small enough to fit through the crawl-tubes. Playmates: Wait For Me

"Always," she replied. "Now, let's go. We're burning daylight." Then came the summer before college

Maya reached out, catching his hand just like she used to catch the railing of the slide. "I’ve had a lot of practice," she smiled. Leo sat down beside her, breathless from the

"Sorry," he panted, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Thanks for waiting."

As the years blurred, the playground changed. The blue paint was replaced by sleek steel, and their strides grew longer.