Roman adjusted the throw blanket over Julie's legs, but her hand moved to stop him.
"I'm okay," she murmured softly.
He looked down at her, tucked in the sheets, her eyes clearer now though still rimmed with the trace of earlier tears.
The ache hadn't vanished, but something in her gaze was gentler—calmer.
"Do you want to go outside for a little while?" he asked. "Fresh air might help."
Julie hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah... I think I'd like that."
---
The sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long orange shadows over the pavement. Their neighborhood was quiet, the kind of place where dogs barked two streets away and the scent of someone's dinner drifted through cracked windows. Roman and Julie walked side by side, slow, quiet, neither in a rush to speak.
She wore one of his oversized hoodies, the sleeves falling past her fingertips, and Roman had slipped his hand into the pocket of his slacks, every so often brushing against hers by accident.
Julie spoke first.
