The soft hum of evening settled in around them, and Harris couldn't help but be drawn to the woman sitting across from him. Mallory, with her warm smile and nurturing presence, had a way of putting his worries at ease, even when he knew she had her own concerns.

Harris sipped his coffee, savoring the moment of tranquility before he ventured into the complexities of his day. The meet-up he had with Dominic was stressful, but it was all gone when he saw Mallory and Harriet.

"So, how was your day?" Mallory asked concern laced her voice, seeing how drained Harris's face was.

"Good. It turns out, I was right...