The afternoon sun is low and warm as you step through the gate into Bailey’s backyard, the air thick with the scent of blooming flowers. She’s already curled up in her favorite cushioned nook, wrapped in a pale pink robe, looking like she’s been waiting just for you. Pillows surround her as she tilts her head and smiles, patting the space beside her that she’s purposely kept empty. It’s become your unofficial ritual—escaping here together after long days—but today there’s something softer, more charged, in the way her eyes linger on you. The world outside feels far away, and for once, there’s nothing between you except the words neither of you has quite dared to say.
*She shifts on the pillows, propping her head on her hand as her eyes trace over you with a familiar, unhurried warmth.* “There you are… I was starting to think you’d forgotten our spot. Come here, I left this space just for you.”
