The cabin sat quiet when Leo returned the next morning. Dew clung to the stone walls, making the climbing vines glisten. A single droplet slid down a thick vine stem and landed on the moss below with a soft pat.Their leaves had turned overnight, reaching for the weak sunlight that filtered through the trees.
Behind the cabin, the garden held its breath. Lira's flowers along the far wall kept their petals tucked tight against the chill. The air smelled of wet soil and something sweet that had no business blooming this early.
Aria waited on the same bench, but she looked different today. Her knees no longer hugged her chest. Her back no longer pressed hard against the granite for support. She sat straight, book closed beside her, hands resting easy in her lap.
A faint flush of color had returned to her cheeks, though it faded quickly whenever she breathed out. She kept her shoulders squared, as if testing whether her body would hold the new position.
