from morning commuters. Vanessa slid into her car, her usual calm interrupted by a gnawing restlessn

to life just as she reversed out of

ha

ng a clean button-up shirt and holding a thin b

lowed ins

e anxious. Dressed up but still grounded-like someone

lled down the window. "You know

grinned. "If I had known you'd be d

ere

to. Maybe land something that doesn't require

assenger door. "Hop in

cond before climbing in. "

t hum of the radio. Vanessa kept her eyes on the road

said quietl

just a

ly, small things

respond r

"It's the little cracks th

u always talk like you've

"Feels like i

owntown, clean glass doors and hopeful freela

fore stepping out. "Yo

kno

m glad

here-eyes locked, words unsai

ut and shut t

e building, his shoulders squared des

th a small, unfamili

meet up after the da

sn't

r hair back and reaching for the light sweater-th

a date. Ju

pulse didn'

kind of place with creaky floors, mismatched chairs, and a b

d in, a folded laptop on the table,

me?" she teased

amble. Blac

ky g

atch," he sai

d her for h

, brushing it off with a smirk but not

ed. Reall

mall talk, but the

n a community arts space. That she used to b

uld be fixed if you just loved th

for more. But he liste

it. How tech became his escape from a messy childhood. His mother had left, his fath

acing the edge of his mug. "But sometimes I thi

ment, she didn't see Tessa's b

h cracks and never hardened. A man

self for how deep

fferent-comfortable, warm. Ethan's shoulder brushed he

oved here," h

hy

brought me h

he sentiment not truthfully. Because the real reason she was her

r someone she shou

idn't sto

t

rtment, things were

t. Her stomach twisted with anxiety-not because she missed him, but beca

tely. Smiling more. She'd noticed him c

een the wom

ct screamed so

ho held her brother's smile was the very

in bed una

me here fo

ark had chosen her. Why he had lied, bet

e could think a

he was broken, not like she was someo

ke she was the begi

know if she was

time in weeks...