The quiet in the apartment arranged itself around Violet as she stepped into the hallway. The lights had dimmed to a warm glow, enough to soften the edges of the space but not enough to hide the meaning rising between them. She felt it immediately an atmosphere shaped by everything they had allowed in the living room and everything they had refused to rush.

Bryan followed behind her, not close enough to touch, but close enough for her to feel the steady presence of him. The air shifted with his steps, steady and deliberate, as if he understood precisely how much room to give her.

She slowed near the kitchen...