Saturday afternoon arrived faster than Jeremiah expected. He paced nervously in his room, running over everything that could go wrong — awkward silences, spilled drinks, saying something dumb. But beneath the nerves was a spark of excitement he couldn't deny.
At the café, Zoey greeted him with a bright smile. "You made it."
"Of course," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. "I wouldn't miss it."
They sat by the window, sunlight filtering in as they talked. To his surprise, the conversation flowed. They talked about favorite shows, annoying siblings, and even silly fears — like Jeremiah's strange aversion to clowns and Zoey's deep dislike of pickles.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and when they finally stood to leave, Zoey looked at him with a softness in her eyes. "This was nice."
"Yeah," Jeremiah said, smiling. "It really was