A Chance Encounter
The next few days passed with a strange kind of calm. Lila threw herself into her work, focusing on the upcoming exhibition, trying to regain some sense of purpose. She didn’t expect it to be easy, but the distraction of curating the gallery helped. She needed to create, to find herself in the art once more.
Then, one afternoon, while walking to the coffee shop across the street from the gallery, Lila spotted a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized him.
Lucas.
He looked different. His posture was a little more rigid, the spark in his eyes more guarded than before. When he saw her, there was a flicker of hesitation in his gaze before he offered a small, tight smile.
“Lila,” he said, his voice cool but not unfriendly.
“L
