Lance

The day Alice and I were supposed to leave finally came. At five in the morning, I was already standing outside her apartment door. The surroundings were still quiet, the air cool, and only a few cars passed by. It felt perfect, exactly how I wanted things to be. No interruptions. No questions. Just us.

When the door opened, and she stepped out, her backpack slung over one shoulder, a small lunch bag in one hand, and a tumbler in the other—wearing that familiar smile that always managed to calm me—I found myself smiling back without even realizing it. We shared a short kiss and walked our way to...