It was already too late when I realized I wasn’t going home that night. The sky outside Giovanni’s apartment was a deep indigo, the streetlights casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and yawn like a lazy cat. My phone buzzed with a missed call from my mom, but I couldn’t muster the energy to call her back. Instead, I let out a long sigh, sinking deeper into Giovanni’s plush couch.
“Can I stay over?” Ava asked softly, her voice almost lost in the quiet hum of the television. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, an old Disney movie flickering in front of them, but Giovanni knew she wasn’t paying attention to it.
Giovanni didn’t reply right away. He carefully set down the plate in front of her, watching as she sat cross-legged on the couch, hugging her knees like a child seeking comfort
