Anytime Foster I'm Always Here

A/N: "I See The Light" Piano and Strings Version

Keefe's POV: 

Midterms were closing in faster than I expected, and it felt like everyone around me was slowly starting to lose it. Biana had already briefed me on the tradition—apparently, when you survive midterms without combusting, your friends give you small gifts as a sort of "Yay, you didn't die from stress!" celebration.

So, naturally, I'd grabbed a few cool things for my friends. Some were kind of silly, others a little more thoughtful. But when it came to Foster? Yeah, I wasn't about to just hand her a box of flavored moonberries and call it a day.

No, Foster deserved more. Something meaningful. Something unforgettable. And I had a good reason.

This year, midterms happened to land on the exact anniversary of that day—the one where I surprised her with a goofy little dance under Calla's tree. She'd been going through a lot, and I just wanted to see her smile again. That dance worked magic that day. And now? I wanted to bring a little bit of that magic back—but this time, even better.

The past few years hadn't been easy. We'd spent too much time apart, dealing with things we never should've had to face. And even though she's come back stronger—so much stronger—it still haunted me, the thought of not being able to be there for her during the toughest moments. That guilt never really went away. So this? This was my way of making it up to her.

This wasn't just a midterms celebration. It was a reminder.

A reminder that no matter what happened, I'd always be there.

This year's dance would have some updates. New song—still "our" style, but a little more polished. A few extra surprises. And of course, it would take place by her tree. The one that always reminded us of Calla, of home, and of the roots we'd both grown since we first danced there.

But first, I needed a little help from Edaline. Again.

She was more than happy to jump in, especially once I explained what I had planned. Honestly, I think she was too excited—like, full-on wedding-planner-level excited. Not that I blamed her. She adored Foster, and she knew how much this meant to me.

By the time everything was set, my heart was pounding. I couldn't wait to see her reaction.

And I already knew the perfect song: By Your Side—the same one we used to hum together when we were younger, curled up in the Moonbeam Tower during late-night study sessions or after some ridiculous adventure had gone off the rails. It was ours.

I pulled up the playlist on my phone, checked the lights, and smiled.

This was going to be perfect.

Sophie's POV

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I paced back and forth in my room, mentally running through every possible test question I might have gotten wrong. Ugh. Midterms were evil. Pure, unfiltered evil.

"What if I don't pass?" I muttered, chewing my lip. "What if I flunk out of high school entirely?"

I stopped, frowned at myself in the mirror. "Okay, Foster, that's a bit dramatic. You've passed every year before this. You're in Level Four. Chill."

It helped. A little.

Still, I needed something to distract me from my nerves. I grabbed my nexus and played the one thing guaranteed to settle my racing thoughts—our song. The melody of By Your Side filled the room, soft and sweet, like a blanket wrapping around me.