Stella and Chris.
They were sitting under a beach umbrella, their children playing nearby. Chris had his arm draped around Stella’s shoulders as they watched the kids, an easy comfort between them that spoke of love, of stability.
For a moment, I considered turning away, slipping back before they noticed me. But before I could make a decision, Stella looked up.
Our eyes met.
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t look away.
Instead, she gave me a small nod. A silent acknowledgment.
I wasn’t sure what it meant, but I nodded back.
Maybe that was enough.
Maybe that was all it needed to be.
I turned my attention back to Nico, watching as he built his sandcastle with intense concentration, his tiny hands shaping towers and walls with the kind of focus only a child could have.
I sat down beside him
