The late afternoon light spilled softly through the tall windows of the small café where Daisy and Harry sat across from each other. Outside, the campus hummed quietly with the gentle buzz of students finishing their last classes, couples strolling hand in hand, and the first hints of autumn tinting the trees in soft gold and amber. Inside, the warmth of the café wrapped around them like a quiet cocoon.

Daisy stirred her coffee slowly, watching the cream spiral and dissolve into the rich brown liquid. The steam curled upward, casting a faint haze in front of her eyes as she tried to focus on the conversation at hand. Harry...