The evening had settled in, the sky painted with the soft hues of twilight. The café was quieter now, the crowd thinning as people trickled out to finish their day. Jenna was still lost in her own little world, mumbling about some romantic idea she had in mind, but my attention had wandered.
I shifted in my seat, trying to shake off the sense of unease that had settled into my chest. And then, just as I was about to convince myself that I was imagining things, I saw him.
Mr. Hale.
I froze, my hand pausing mid-motion as I lifted my mug to my lips. There he was, across the street, walking slowly as if the world around him held no real urgency. Mr. Hale’s tall, angular figure cut through the crowd with an effortless grace, and his dark coat fluttered slightly in the evening breeze.
I wasn
