“Remember that time we tried to build a treehouse in your backyard?” Xavier laughed, leaning back in the creaky wooden chair. The café was quiet, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the table.

Uma smirked, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She had that same effortless charm she’d always carried, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with mischief. Her fitted sweater hugged her curves in a way that made it hard not to notice, though Xavier had known her too long to let it distract him—most of the time. They’d been friends since high school, back when life felt simpler and summers stretched forever.

“Yeah, and it collapsed the second we put the roof on,” she said, shaking her head. “Your dad was so mad.” Xavier opened his mouth to reply, but then her phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at it, her smile faltering for just a second. “Sorry, I need to take this.” She stood, her chair scraping against the floor, and walked toward the door. Xavier watched her go, a strange tension settling in the air.