In the early evening, Eir was cooking as usual. After finishing, her hand slipped into the pocket of her trousers, searching for her cigarette. She pressed her fingers into every corner of the fabric, only to realize with bitter frustration—no cigarette, no lighter.
A quiet curse escaped her lips. She grabbed her brown coat from the chair, threw it across her shoulders, and buttoned it hastily.
The door creaked open, and the cold, rainy wind lashed against her face. The streets were slick and misty, every step echoing her bad luck.
Finally, she reached the small supermarket. Pushing the door open with her shoulder, she steadied herself on the wet floor. Her eyes scanned the aisles quickly—only to fall immediately on someone she knew.
Lia. Her neighbor.
She stood calmly near the shelves, her posture elegant, her presence unmistakable. She looked as if she was shopping casually, but to Eir, the moment pressed heavily, making her chest tighten.
Eir walked to the cigarette stand, searching desperately. Nothing.
"Do you have cigarettes?" she asked the shopkeeper.
"Sorry… we're out," he replied with regret.
Eir turned to leave, but a hand touched her shoulder. Larger, steadier fingers, a grip that was both light and commanding. A silent request for attention.
She shifted, and there she was—Lia. Up close, her beauty was undeniable. Eir felt the air catch in her throat, her strength dissolving under the sudden closeness.
The faint scent of Lia's perfume mixed with smoke, expensive and sharp, mocking the plain smell of rain still clinging to Eir's coat. Every breath made her painfully aware of the distance between their worlds.
Lia tilted her head with a sly smile.
"Oh… you. The quiet one always watching from across the street?"
Eir's face tensed, but she didn't look away. Their first direct confrontation. Lia's smirk deepened as she pulled out a cigarette and held it between her fingers.
"Want one? I've got four left. But don't expect me to give you two."
She laughed softly, almost enjoying Eir's discomfort.
When Eir finally stepped outside, she noticed Lia at the cashier, moving with unshakable ease, as if everything around her bent naturally to her control.
Eir called out, trying to regain ground.
"Hey… it won't light itself. Spark it for me."
Her eyes flicked to the lighter in Lia's hand. Lia understood immediately. She moved closer, bringing the lighter and cigarette together with steady fingers. A small flame bloomed, its glow touching both their faces as smoke curled upward.
They paused. A silence thick with tension. Each tried to read the other, but neither looked away.
Lia broke it first, her voice smooth:
"By the way, I'm Lia. Just Lia."
She extended her hand, confident, deliberate. A gesture that carried only one message: I'm here. You see me now.
Eir clasped her hand firmly.
"And I'm Eir. Only Eir."
Their hands held for a heartbeat longer than necessary, the weight of unspoken things pressing between them.