emories of her conversation with Noah lingered in her mind, stirring something she hadn't felt in a long time: hope. She had spent so many years wrapped

nterrupting her thoughts. She reached

Noah? I'm dying to h

. "It was a good conversation. Unexpected,

happy for you! Take your time, Kendra. No pressu

e a little. And perhaps she was right. It had been so long since Kendra had allowed h

h a potential client at noon, and while the work was important, her mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Noah. He had spoken with such sinc

with life around her. People bustled along the sidewalks, taxis honked in the distance, and the smell of fresh bread wafted throu

ng, but the words felt distant, as if they were coming from somewhere far away. She had to remind herself to focus, to pay attention. Her thoughts

hesitated for a moment before typing out a message to Noah. She wasn't sure why she felt

nted to thank you again. It meant more to me than you probably

it was silly, but she felt a mix of excitement and nervousness all at once. She hadn't allowed herself to be vulnerable in such a long time, not since the en

ng for a response

e this afternoon. Let m

hest, but it was tempered by the knowledge that she wasn't the same woman she had been before-she couldn't just dive into something withou

e had chosen a small, quiet place that was tucked away from the busy streets, hoping for a calm,

stication about him that Kendra couldn't ignore. He sp

a seat across from her. "Th

to mask the butterflies in her sto

oment before Noah leaned forward sl

ut what we talked about yesterday. I know you're still figuring things out, but

t offer such a thing without an ulterior motive. But there

ng the edge of her coffee cup. "It's just hard to trust peo

'm not here to push you into anything you're not ready for. But if you want to tak

ast slowly lifting, replaced by a sense of possibility. Noah wasn't asking for anything, and he wasn't

id softly, meeting his

oices light and easy, and Kendra couldn't remember the last time she had felt so comfortable with someone. I

ere, caught in their own world. The city outside seemed to fade into the backgr

d up and offered his hand, his smile

eart lighter than it had

nt so long hiding from the world, from her own emotions, but now she was beginning to face them head-on. And with

while, she wasn't afraid to see