Valerie froze, standing there like her body had just hit pause. Her mind once again replayed memories of her last meeting with Arthur at the apartment—especially how he had prepared a meal for her without saying much.

Ever since their talk yesterday, something had started to stir inside her. It felt like a tiny sprout pushing against the dirt, desperate to break through. She’d always known it was there, buried deep, but it had never managed to reach the surface, never gotten the chance to ...