The night didn't truly end when Rachel left the gala; instead, it lingered with her. At first, it was gentle, almost courteous, quietly settling into the edges of her mind, as if it had no plans to go anywhere once it had made its way in. The door closed behind her with a soft, precise seal, and just like that, the street outside disappeared. Not gradually, not softly fading, but cleanly cut off,
as if the world she had just stepped out of had been placed behind glass. Joseph held her hand and they moved towards the car. She could tell that the car didn’t belong to the street, not because it was extravagant in a loud way, but because it was too controlled, too precise in its presence. Black, clean, positioned with intention rather than convenience, like it had been placed there rather t
