As they walked down the narrow path leading away from the ride, the sounds of laughter and spinning machinery faded behind them. The evening air felt cooler now, brushing against the oversized costumes they still wore.
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out.
“SpongeBob! Sandy! They’re back!”
Mia stiffened.
A group of children stood a few steps away, eyes wide with excitement. One of them pointed directly at them, bouncing on their toes.
“And look!” another child gasped. “They’re holding hands!”
Mia blinked, confusion washing over her as she followed their gaze downward.
Her breath caught.
Her hand was still wrapped around Andrian’s.
Not loosely.
Tightly.
Her heart skipped so hard it almost hurt.
Heat rushed to her face, and in that split second, realization struck her all at once—it
