"You have to come and find me!" Avi shouted from downstairs as Kirstin finished counting.

Kirstin Maldonado and Avi Kaplan were both 6 years old at the time, and best friends.

"I'm gonna find you, Avriel!" Kirstin yelled back in a joking tone.

She checked in closets, under couches, and even in the washing machine.

Avi was nowhere to be found.

"Avi?" Kirstin yelled, hoping to find an answer. "Avi?"

Silence.

Kirstin ran upstairs, crying to her mother.

"Kirstin! Honey! What's wrong?" The concerned mother asked.

"A-avi! He's- gone!" Kirstin shouted in between sobs.

The mother of the child had a puzzled expression on her face, but quickly wiped it away and played along.

"Oh, uh, yeah! Avi, your friend! He got lost?" The mother smirked to herself in her head. She knew how to deal with children and their imaginary friends. She was a teacher for heaven's sake!

"Ye-yeah. He's downstairs. I can't find him!" Kirstin continued crying.

"I'll help you find him!" Kirstin's mom suggested.

The two walked downstairs and checked in all the spaces Kirstin had already looked, and more.

Kirstin sighed as she shut the door to the drying machine. "He's nowhere."

The little girl gasps and runs upstairs and to the phonebook.

She had put a bookmark (and circled) where Avi's phone number was in the giant book.

She had to call his parents immediately and tell them what happened.

The older woman chased after the fast girl as she started dialing numbers into the phone.

"Kirst! What are you doing?" The mom called, sighing.

"Calling Avi's parents." Kirstin responded.

The woman on the other line picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi! This is Kirstin! I need to tell you something, and you're not going to be happy."

"Oh, hi! You're Angelica's girl, right?"

"Yes, but I need to tell you something really important." Kirstin started choking up. She really missed Avi.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"Avi is gone."

"Who is Avi?"

"Your son, silly!" Kirstin tried to hold back tears with laughs.

"I don't recall having a son."

"Oh." Kirstin started crying again. "I-I'm sorry for wasting your time then. Bye."

"No, no it's okay Kirstin, you didn't waste my time! Can I talk to your mother?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah."

Kirstin ran over to her mother and gave her the phone before running away crying.

"Hello?" Kirstin's mother felt bad for the girl.

"Hey, Angelica?"

"Oh, hi Shelly!"

"Hi! Sorry if this sounds rude, but is something going on? Is Kirstin okay?"

"That's not rude, don't worry. And I'm not sure what's the matter either. I'm thinking Avi was one of her imaginary friends and she's attached to him. I've seen children been attached to their imaginary friends, but I've never seen a child cry over one."

"Yeah. And she thought her friend 'Avi' was my son! I'm actually kinda intrigued into how she connected this character with me."

"Don't worry Shelly, you're not the only one."

"Well, it was nice talking to you! Update me on this when you can because I'm very interested!"

"I sure will! Bye!"

"Bye!"

The confused mother hung up the phone and walked upstairs to try and find the crying girl.

Kirstin, laying on her bed, had tear stains down her face. She was also fast asleep.

The woman kissed the young girl on the forehead and walked away, closing the door.

➖TIME SKIP TO 20 YEARS LATER➖

Ever since that day, Kirstin's mind has been on Avi.

No one had remembered him, not even his parents.

Except Kirstin.

It had been 20 years since Avi went missing, and Kirstin returned home from her apartment to visit her mom.

And remember Avi.

"Hi, mom!" Kirstin called, opening the door.

"Hello honey!" The mother called back, coming out of the kitchen and hugging her daughter.

"I came here to say hi, because I haven't seen you in a while." Kirstin replied, looking around. "Still looks the same as when it did when I was little."

"And that's a good thing for sure. Come, sit down!" Kirstin's mom walked over to a couch and sat down.

Kirstin sat next to her.

"Mom, remember when I was 6, and I was crying about my friend Avi?" Kirstin asked.

"Yes! And you called Mrs. Kaplan to see if she knew! Good times." The joyful mother remembered.

"I know this sounds weird, but since it's been 20 years since then, I just wanna go to the basement and look around as a memory. Is that okay?" Kirstin inquired.

"That's perfectly fine! Go ahead!" The mother encouraged.

She walked downstairs and looked around.

Just like I remember it. Kirstin thought, feeling nostalgic.

She looked inside the closet, and inside was a man, with a beard and long hair covered with a beanie.

"Avi?" Kirstin felt tears coming to her eyes.

"It's me." Avi jumped towards Kirstin and hugged her, not letting go.

"I was scared sick! It's been 20 years!" Kirstin yelled, now crying.

"Well, now I'm here to stay." Avi responded. "I've also been waiting 20 years to ask you this."

Avi pulled a box out of his pocket and got on one knee.

Kirstin cried even more.

"Kirstin Taylor Maldonado, will you make me the happiest man on Earth, and marry me?"

Kirstin nodded and jumped into Avi's arms as he stood up.

The looked into each others eyes and kissed.

As they kissed, a spark went thorough everyone's mind that knew Avi.

They remembered Avi.

Kirstin's mother and Avi's mother were the first to remember.

"Kirstin! Avi! Are you guys down there?" Kirstin's mom yelled form downstairs.

She walked downstairs and saw the two looking at each other.

"Kirstin I was worried, you were taking so long down there! And Avi, when did you arrive? I haven't seen you in forever! I see you two are still friends." The mother commented, winking.

"Oh, I've been here for a long time." Avi responded, looking over at Kirstin. The two laughed.

There was a knock on the door, and Kirstin ran up stairs and answered it.

It was Avi's mother.

"Kirstin!" He mother hugged the girl. "Long time no see! Is Avi here?"

"Yes, he is! Downstairs, follow me." Kirstin started walking downstairs.

When they arrived, Kirstin's mother realized there was a box in Avi's hand.

"Hey, Avi? What's that in your hand?" She asked.

At that time Avi's mom realized also.

"Well," Avi responded, "let me show you."

He took Kirstin's hand and rose it up so the mothers could see the ring.

When they saw the diamond ring, and the two immediately started crying and hugging anyone in their sight.

"You guys are getting married!" Avi's mom yelled.

"Oh my god! I remember when you two were just little kids!" Kirstin's mother wiped her tears.

Kirstin started tearing up again, and she hugged Avi tight as the mothers continued rambling on.

She didn't let Avi go.

She still had questions about where he went for 20 years, and how no one remembered him, but those could wait.

She had finally found him, and she wanted to stay by his side.

Forever. 〜