(Michelle's POV)
I woke up to sunlight spilling through my curtains and something else I hadn't felt in days:
Peace.
Not the dramatic, world-shifting kind — just a quiet, steady, warm peace that sat gently in my chest like a sleeping cat.
Maybe it was the Christmas party.
Maybe it was seeing Steven sit beside me like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Maybe it was the Santa hat I still found in the corner of my room, slightly crooked but deeply cherished.
Or maybe…
Maybe it was simply that winter break was one sleep away.
Only a few more hours in school.
Only a few more opportunities for the universe to throw emotional grenades my way.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
"Okay," I told myself. "Last day. Be serene. Be unshakeable. Be—"
My phone buzzed.
Steven.
I immediately failed at being serene because my heart did a triple somersault.
I opened the message.
Steven:
I'll pick you up this morning.
A pause.
Then another message:
Steven:
If you're okay with that.
