The house was quiet when Amara got home. After the laughter, the teasing, and the warmth of the cousins, the silence felt heavier than usual — but not in a bad way. Just… different.
She changed into comfortable clothes, lay on her bed, and stared at the ceiling, replaying the day in her mind.
The haunted house. The jump scare. Her hugging Adrian. Their eye contact. His voice saying, "I'm here."
Her heart fluttered at the memory.
Her phone buzzed.
Adrian:Did you get home?
Amara smiled softly and typed back.
Amara:Yeah. You?
A moment passed.
Adrian:Just got in. Today was… something.
She could almost hear the small laugh behind his words.
Amara:It was fun.
Another pause. Then her phone lit up again.
Adrian:Can I call you? Just audio.
Her breath caught for a second. She hesitated — not because she didn't want to, but because she did.
Finally, she typed:
Amara:Okay.
Her phone rang immediately.
She answered, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"
Adrian's voice came through, low and warm. "Hey."
Just that one word made her chest tighten.
"You sound tired," he said gently.
"A little," she admitted. "But… today helped."
"I'm glad," he said quietly. "You smiled more today."
Amara's cheeks warmed. "You noticed?"
"Of course I did."
Silence settled between them — not awkward, but soft. Comfortable.
Adrian spoke again, his voice even quieter. "I'm… really glad you came today. I know things have been hard."
Amara swallowed. "Thank you for calling them. And for… staying close."
He exhaled, almost like he'd been holding his breath. "I didn't want you to feel alone."
Her heart thumped.
They talked about small things after that — Cassian's dramatic screams, Orion's jokes, Selene chasing them, Lyra clinging to Aiden. They laughed softly, sharing the day all over again.
Minutes turned into an hour without either of them noticing.
At one point, Amara yawned.
Adrian chuckled. "You should sleep."
"You too," she murmured.
"Goodnight, Amara."
"Goodnight, Adrian."
Neither of them hung up immediately. They stayed on the line for a few seconds longer — just listening to each other breathe — before ending the call.
Amara placed her phone on her chest, her heart warm.
For the first time in a long time… She didn't feel alone.