Ana had spent three years in Lisbon — enough time to build a life, make friends, learn the streets by heart. But the job offer in New York was too good to refuse. On her last morning, she stood in the empty apartment, light pouring through the window, and realised she was about to leave behind everything that had made her feel at home. She left behind her favourite café, the sound of the trams, and a version of herself she had only just discovered. Some things, she knew, could not be packed into a suitcase.

Six months into New York, Ana found a small Portuguese bakery two blocks from her office. The smell of pastel de nata hit her before she even opened the door. One bite and the whole of Lisbon came flooding back — the tram sounds, the morning light, the friends she had said goodbye to. That little pastry managed to bring back everything she thought she had left behind. She sat at the counter for an hour, not eating. Just remembering. Sometimes the past doesn't stay where you leave it.