They didn't leave the café together.
Not because either of them wanted distance,but because neither of them knew what closeness was supposed to look like anymore.
Nora stepped outside first, the evening air cool against her skin. The streetlights had come on, casting soft yellow circles along the pavement. For a moment, she stood there, breathing, letting the noise of the city ground her.
A few seconds later, Ethan joined her.
I can walk you back, he said, not assuming. Just offering.
She hesitated, then nodded. Okay.
They fell into step side by side, leaving a careful amount of space between them. Not awkward. Intentional. Like two people relearning how to exist in the same frame.
So, Ethan said after a while trying to bring up a conversation, are you staying with family?
Yes. My aunt. Nora smiled faintly. She's already planning my entire week.
He chuckled. That sounds familiar.
Does it?she said smiling softly
My mother does the same thing whenever I visit. Schedules meals like they're official events.
Nora laughed faintly, surprised at how easy it felt. Some things really don't change.
No, he agreed. They just…rearrange themselves.
They walked a little farther before she spoke again.
What about you? she asked. Are you still living near the office?
Ethan nodded. Same place. I thought about moving once or twice, but...…,He shrugged. It felt unnecessary.
She wondered what else he'd thought about and never acted on.
They stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. Cars rushed past, their headlights briefly illuminating his face. In the glow, she saw something she hadn't noticed earlier,fatigue.Not exhaustion, but the quiet kind that came from carrying things alone for too long.
You seem different, she said before she could stop herself.
He glanced at her. Different how?
Calmer," she said after a moment. But also...heavier.
Ethan considered that. I think I learned how to sit with things instead of running from them.
She looked at him. I didn't.
He smiled gently. You always moved fast. It was one of the things I admired.
And one of the things that scared you, she replied.
He didn't deny it.
The light changed, and they crossed the street together.
A comfortable silence settled in one that didn't demand filling. But just as Nora began to relax into it, Ethan spoke again.
I should probably say this, he said. Before it becomes something unspoken again.
She slowed slightly. Say what?
I'm not asking for anything, he continued carefully. Not expectations. Not answers. I just…don't want us to pretend today didn't matter.
Nora stopped walking.
Ethan stopped too, turning to face her.
I'm not pretending, she said quietly. I'm just being careful.
With me? he asked.
With myself, she replied.
His expression softened. That makes sense.
They stood there for a moment, the city humming around them.
I'm scared of slipping back into something unfinished, she admitted. Of reopening a chapter I don't know how to close.
Ethan nodded slowly. Then maybe we don't rush to close it.
She searched his face, looking for pressure. There was none.
Just…read it properly this time, he added.
Her chest tightened,not painfully, but achingly.
They resumed walking.
When they reached her aunt's building, Nora stopped at the gate. Warm light spilled from the windows above, the quiet promise of familiarity waiting for her inside.
This is me, she said.
I figured. Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets. Thanks for today.
She smiled. Thank you for asking me to talk.
He hesitated, then asked, Will I see you again before you leave?
She didn't answer immediately.
Then...…..Yes.
The word felt small, but it landed heavily between them.
Ethan smiled not wide, not triumphant,just relieved. Good.
They stood there another second too long.
Then another.
Finally, Nora turned toward the gate.
Goodnight, Ethan.
Goodnight, Nora.
She walked inside without looking back but she felt his gaze linger until the door closed behind her.
Upstairs, lying in bed later, Nora stared at the ceiling, replaying the day in quiet fragments.
The way his voice had softened when he said her name.
The way he hadn't rushed her.
The way nothing had been resolved yet everything felt different.
Her phone buzzed.
A message.
Ethan: I meant what I said today. No pressure. Just honesty.
She stared at the screen, heart beating faster than it should.
After a moment, she typed back.
Nora: I know. And…i appreciate that.
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then:
Ethan: Sleep well.
She smiled before she could stop herself.
As she set her phone aside, Nora realized something that unsettled her more than the reunion itself.
She wasn't afraid of seeing him again.
She was afraid of how much she wanted to.