Standing in front of the mirror, Victor adjusted his cufflinks as a car pulling up outside indicated that Sophia's ride had finally arrived. He straightened his jacket, staring at a reflection that, for some reason or other, looked different these days. There was something stirred in him since that night they spent at the restaurant, an inescapable tug toward Sophia, which he couldn't explain.
She had been on his mind constantly, her face, her laugh, the way she was always so patient with him-even when he didn't deserve it. There was something in her presence that was so soothing, so grounding. He had tried fighting it at first, tried to resist how easy it was to imagine her by his side, but now, after all, he didn't want to fight anymore.
The truth was, Sophia had grown larger in his mi
