The same restaurant, the same table—but this time, they finished the meal together.

Julian had clearly prepared with intention. The dishes were even more refined than before, and the wine he brought himself—a prized vintage. Even the restaurant seemed altered, as if transformed to mark the occasion. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, a grand piano now sat, its elegance unmistakable.

Every detail whispered of their impending goodbye.

The ...