Connie Maheswaran was eighteen years old, but on this day she carried the weight of someone twice that age. It was the first holiday break since she had started university and at any other time she would have been happy to be going home. Now understand that she wasn't exactly unhappy to be going home; it was just that her mind was so plagued with could bes and should haves that thinking of home made her head swim. Just getting into her car had taken hours of pacing in her dorm weighing words upon words on an unseen scale. A trash can full of crumpled paper and an exasperated roommate finally convinced her to settle on sincerity.

And so, as she walked her from her too fancy school to her too fancy car, her actions became more automatic. She thought of nothing but the road, nothing but the calm of day and the quiet of night to guide her. It was only when she passed the sign did her thoughts drift to what transpired a over a year ago in Beach City, Delmarva.

Out of all people, she would never had thought she would be unable to talk to Steven Quartz Universe. As Connie grew from a nervous child to a confident young adult she found it easier to open up and be herself. She could talk to her parents, something she never thought she would be able to really do, and she could talk to people. And to her delight, people talked back. She made friends, lots of friends, but she never let herself forget her first friend. Or at least, she thought she didn't.

Connie would always make time for Steven, talk to Steven, and support Steven. A wan smile crossed her lips momentarily as she drove past half remembered landmarks, the laughter of children and excitement of days long gone flickered through her memories. As she parked her car on the edge of Crystal Temple, she shut her eyes and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She and Steven had changed so much, they became more and more absorbed in their own worlds as the years went by. She had not been ready then, and she wasn't sure if she was ready now, but she had to try.

She got out, slung her yellow shoulder bag over her neck and took steady steps towards the front door of the house. She didn't need to go far. She noticed something in the corner of her eye, and Connie's breath hitched in her throat.

Though she stood some distance away, she was sure it was him. Several feet away was the form of a young man slumped in a blue beach chair. His head was rolled to to the side, not facing her, and the steady rise and fall of his chest told her he was sleeping. She didn't go any closer, she felt like she didn't have the right to be.

"...Steven?" She said softly.

The man almost immediately got up. He looked in every direction but hers. With newfound confidence she called his name again, a little louder this time. And in that moment, his head jolted in her direction. He lept from his chair, toppling it over in the process. The ground shook as headed for her at full speed. His bare feet kicking up sand in his wake, Connie didn't have the chance to look at him clearly as the glare of the sun shielded his face from her sight. He stopped suddenly, cautiously, and tilted his face downwards to peer at her.

He was still that peachy pink skinned, perpetually chubby Steven she knew. But his short curly black hair had grown into longer locks and his strength was much more noticeable from just looking at him. The bit of fuzz on his chin had grown to a full on goatee and he wore a pale pink tank and faded blue shorts. He towered over her, almost as tall as his late mother but not quite.

At any other time he would have lifted her up and spun her around in a bear hug, smiling wide and chuckling as she laughed in delight. But now, he kept his distance and his expression was uncertain. There was a brief silence, and then:

"I missed you so much!" They both said at once.

They both stumbled back in surprise. Their minds had not been on the same track since the days they became Stevonnie...and that was a long time ago. Connie's blue sun dress fluttered lightly in the breeze as she began to speak.

"Steven...I'm..."

"No," He held up a hand to stop her, and quickly shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Look, we both...said horrible things that we didn't mean. Well mostly me...but I did start it. I was jealous and selfish. Well, very selfish. Extremely selfish." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "So, please save your sorrys. Save them for someone that deserves them. Just don't save them for me."

Connie took Steven's left hand in her own and slowly rubbed the back of his palm with her thumb. She didn't look at him directly until she decided to speak. "Well Steven even when you...said those things, I still should have been more mature about it. I didn't have to say the things I said. " She quirked an eyebrow, her expression still serious but at the same time playful. "So at least let me be sorry for that!"

"Okay." He said, grinning sheepishly. "So are we good?" His eyes were searching her face.

"Yeah." Connie looked down at the hand she was holding and clasped it with her own. "We're good."

Their eyes locked as they shared a smile. Hand in hand, the two of them continues down the beach.

"Oh I like your hair!" Steven said suddenly, gesturing with his free hand around Connie's pixie cut. "When did you uh..get it cut?"

Connie blushed. "I'm glad you like it. I cut it off myself the night I left." Connie's mind briefly went back to that night in her room, scissors in hand and eyes rimmed red. "Mom wasn't too happy when she saw it though."

Steven's expression changed briefly as the meaning behind Connie's words sunk in. "But I kept it because I liked it." She added gently. "What about you?" She said, lightly tugging on one of Steven's longer curls and watching it spring back. "You've been growing out your hair I see."

"Yeah, around year ago it starting growing and I just couldn't find the time to cut it." Steven didn't say that he couldn't find the time to do many things after Connie left. "You uh...like it?"

"I love it." Connie reached for his hair, Steven blushed and crouched to let her run a hand through it. "Is hard to manage?"

"Not really, remember when I used to braid your hair?"

"But it's so curly!"

"So was Stevonnie's!"

Connie smiled wide at that. "So," She said. "Where is everyone?"

"I could sense Pearl come close by around the time you got here." He grinned as he sensed Pearl's gem fading into the distance as soon as he said that. "Amethyst and Dad were in Dad's room in the temple sketching ideas for a poster last time I checked. Aaaand Garnet's out managing the other gems."

"Huh. So how are the other gems?"

"Well they're getting along," Steven's grin faded a bit and he glanced as the sky. "...but it's hard sometimes. I was with them all of yesterday and for most of last night. I was tired and needed a break, so I didn't see them today. They still don't seem to understand that I'm human. They say they do...but they really don't."

"They'll get it eventually," Connie smirked and lightly squeezed Steven's hand. "Your gems did."

Steven still seemed to be lost in thought, he seemed to be looking at something Connie couldn't see. When Connie glanced at his face, It suddenly struck her how old he looked. Steven usually had an ever playful, youthful look. When Steven saw her look of concern, he forced a small smile for her.

"Do you want to go inside?" He asked. "I think everyone would like to see you."