I sat at the table, my fork moving aimlessly across my plate as the sound of laughter and casual conversation surrounded me. Everyone was vibrant and full of life—a stark contrast to the heaviness I’d been carrying throughout the day. Kelvin sat to my right, chattering away with Aaron, Lisa’s elder brother, about how many pancakes he could eat in one sitting.
I smiled faintly at the sight of Kelvin’s joy, but my thoughts wandered elsewhere. I kept replaying my conversation with Adrian from the other day. His anger, his hesitation, and his fumbling attempts to explain himself—it all lingered, leaving me unsure of where things stood. Has he given up on Kelvin?
“Vanessa, are you even listening?” Lisa’s mother teased from across the table.
I blinked. “Oh, sorry, what was that?”
Lisa’s moth
