The golden light of early autumn filtered softly through the windows of the small apartment Daisy and Harry shared near campus. Outside, the leaves had begun their slow, inevitable turn, painting the city streets in warm hues of amber, rust, and deep crimson. It was a beautiful season, one that usually invited quiet walks and peaceful afternoons. But inside, the air felt heavier—thicker with an unspoken tension that neither Daisy nor Harry wanted to acknowledge just yet.

They had settled into a comfortable routine these past few months. Their relationship was no longer just about discovery or tentative beginnings. It had become a steady, grounding force—a place of refuge amid...