During the cherry blossom season, spring in Washington, D.C., was gentle and bright. Chen Tao had decided, on a whim during a business trip to New York, to stop by Washington for two or three days. Li Ming drove to pick him up, entering Georgetown from the north and parking in a small lot near Wisconsin Avenue. Outside the car window, cherry trees lined the streets, their pink-and-white petals swaying lightly in the breeze.
They strolled slowly along M Street. The small shops lining the street released the rich aroma of coffee and baked goods. Occasionally, they paused at a sidewalk café, choosing a table by the window, ordering two lattes and a sakura-flavored macaron. Sunlight spilled across the tabletop; petals drifted down with the wind, settling beside their coffee cups and at their feet. No words were exchanged—just the quiet rhythm of walking side by side and soft, measured breaths.
They continued until they reached a waterside path along the Georgetown Canal. Li Ming took out her camera, capturing the interplay of cherry blossoms and their reflections, while Chen Tao stood quietly beside her, watching the side of her face, feeling a warmth long absent from his chest. For lunch, they picked a small corner eatery—simple sandwiches and salads, accompanied by local beer or refreshing juice. In the evening, they found an open-air restaurant, ordering grilled fish and seasonal vegetables, speaking softly about their recent lives and plans for the future.
All afternoon, the light and shadows cast by the cherry blossoms intertwined with the details of the streets, creating a scene of warmth. Their companionship no longer carried the urgency of romantic desire; it was natural, like family—reminding each other to watch the petals underfoot, passing a sip of coffee, exchanging low whispers about daily matters. Twenty years of longing, their chance encounter in Milan, the reunion in New York, and the promise of future, family-like companionship flowed slowly along M Street, softened and made real by the cherry blossoms.