The sun hung low in the sky as Maximus’s truck rumbled down the familiar street. The house looked unchanged, the same streetlight out front casting its long shadow over the pavement, but to Valencia, everything felt different. Her fingers rested on the seat next to her, her thoughts running in a hundred different directions as Maximus parked the truck, cutting the engine, and the two of them sat for a moment in the silence.
He shifted beside her, his hand now resting on her knee. The comfort of his touch grounding her in a way she wasn’t quite sure she could explain. “You okay?” he asked softly, his voice low with a mixture of concern and patience. Valen turned to him, offering him a small smile. “Yeah, just . . . it feels strange, you know?”
He nodded, his thumb brushing her skin reas
