Friday evening brought a crisp, starlit sky that felt worlds away from the heavy rainstorms of the week before.
Lily stood in front of her bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of her cropped dark green sweater. She smoothed down her dark denim jeans and took a quiet, steadying breath. There were no textbooks on her desk, no essay outlines to review, and no ten-foot window gap separating her from Noah tonight.
Downstairs, the quiet rumble of an engine idling in the driveway announced his arrival.
When Lily walked down the stairs, Daniel was sitting on the living room sofa, pretending to focus intensely on his phone. As Lily reached the front door, Daniel looked up, his expression a mix of reluctant acceptance and lingering protective instinct.
"Have fun," Daniel said quietly, offering a
