A cacophony of smells and sounds overwhelmed her senses. One scent in particular caught her attention, and Julia groaned. Stomach grumbling, she followed her nose to her favorite vendor at the Taste. She’d been so nervous about the panel, she’d done the impossible and had momentarily forgotten about her annual tradition.

Ever since her first visit to the famous food festival, Julia had made it a point to visit the booth run by a little family-owned restaurant based in Greektown. But it wasn’t the gyro on a stick or the baklava ice cream that lured her, it was the divine perfection of feta fries. Crispy, golden-brown potatoes served piping hot and sprinkled with crumbles of creamy, salty feta cheese … heaven.

They were too hot to eat yet, so she decided to head toward the fountain and find a spot to enjoy her treat. She wove through the maze of people, the aroma wafting from her little grease-stained paper carton of ambrosia making her stomach cramp with anticipation. The jewel of Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, was a lovely island of calm amid the chaos. The rushing water drowned out the crowds and the air around the fountain was drenched in a cooling mist, providing a welcome respite from the heat and noise.

She’d barely lifted the first fry to her lips when a shadow passed overhead. Julia glanced up, a shiver of déjà vu running through her when she caught sight of the seagull. She dropped the fry and the bird dove, landing at her feet with a squawk of excitement and snatching it up. She grinned and tossed the bird a second fry. She knew she shouldn’t encourage the little thief, but she couldn’t help it. Her heart contracted with bittersweet memories.

Again, Julia was struck by the overwhelming sensation that something was about to happen. Her entire body hummed with expectation. And in that moment, she knew.

Luke.

She glanced up, not surprised at all when she immediately caught sight of his tall form. His height made him impossible to miss in the sea of bodies. As she watched him pace around the fountain, another ripple of déjà vu tingled down her spine. A vision bloomed in her mind. She would call out to him and he would stop, turning toward her voice. Then his gray eyes would meet hers and the crowd, the city, the entire world would fade away.

Of course, that’s not how it works. Not in real life, and especially not in her life. Julia called out to Luke several times, but the fountain, which so effectively drowned out the noisy crowds, also made it almost impossible to hear someone yelling your name.