Unforgettable nights—
was that the next morning—
they almost felt like dreams.
Sunlight slipped through Noah’s bedroom window.
He blinked awake, stared at the ceiling, and wondered for half a second why he felt unusually happy.
Then he remembered.
The Winter Formal.
The dances.
The photographs.
The walk home.
And Lily smiling as she waved goodbye.
A quiet grin appeared before he even got out of bed.
Downstairs, his mother looked up from the breakfast table.
“You seem cheerful.”
“Do I?”
“Yes dear. You’re humming.”
“I am?”
“You’ve been humming for the last thirty seconds.”
Noah paused.
“I didn’t notice.”
Mrs Carter smiled into her coffee but chose not to comment further.
Across town, Lily was having a similar morning.
Emily, who had stayed over after the dance, walked i
