The days after the donor meeting slipped by slowly, but not quietly.
The small coastal town had its rhythms — mornings full of fishermen hauling their nets, afternoons filled with children running along the narrow streets, and evenings softened by the low hum of waves crashing against the shore. Arielle had grown used to that calm, the predictable comfort of it. But now, the quiet felt heavier.
Because she knew Kairo was still there.
She hadn’t seen him since their conversation at the community center, but she didn’t need to. She felt his presence like a shift in the air — subtle, constant, impossible to ignore.
It was a Wednesday morning when Maya poked her head into the studio, waving a stack of papers.
“They confirmed funding for the summer workshop,” Maya said brightly. “Looks lik
