Sunny walked out of the café without looking back.
The afternoon sun felt strangely cold against her skin.
People hurried past her, laughing, talking, living their lives as though nothing had happened. She envied them.
The taxi ride home was quiet. She rested her forehead against the window, watching the city blur into streaks of color.
Every few seconds, her phone buzzed.
Olivia Calling... Sunny declined it.
A moment later, another message appeared.
Please don't shut me out. Let me explain.
She stared at the words before locking the screen again.
Explain? What was there to explain?
She had seen Olivia kissing Juliet with her own eyes.
There was no misunderstanding.
No trick of the light. No hidden context.
She had been too late.
Bloom & Grow
Olivia stood frozen outside the flower shop, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Juliet stepped out a few moments later, looking equally stunned.
"I'll go after her," Juliet said.
"No."
Olivia's voice came out sharper than intended. Juliet stopped.
Olivia dragged both hands through her hair in frustration.
"If anyone should explain this, it has to be me." Juliet sighed.
"It looked bad."
"It wasn't what she thinks."
Juliet gave her a skeptical look.
"We were kissing, Olivia."
Olivia groaned, closing her eyes.
"I know what she saw."
"And?"
Olivia looked away. Juliet folded her arms.
"You don't owe me an explanation. But you owe her one."
Silence settled between them.
Finally, Juliet spoke again.
"I kissed you."
Olivia remained quiet.
"You didn't kiss me first."
Olivia nodded faintly. "I know."
"You pulled away almost immediately."
Another nod.
"But Sunny didn't stay long enough to see that."
Olivia's shoulders slumped.
"No..."
A bitter smile crossed Juliet's face.
"I guess my timing has always been terrible."
Olivia looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry."
Juliet forced a small smile.
"You've already apologized enough."
She glanced toward the street where Sunny had disappeared.
"Go after the woman you actually love."
Olivia's eyes widened. Juliet laughed softly.
"I've known for weeks."
"You... knew?"
"You smile differently whenever Sunny's name comes up."
Olivia lowered her head, unable to deny it.
"I thought she'd never come back."
"So you decided to move on?"
"I tried." Juliet smiled sadly.
"I was willing to let you."
She took a step backward toward the shop.
"But people shouldn't settle for someone simply because they're afraid of waiting."
Olivia swallowed hard. "Juliet..."
"You'd better hurry."
Juliet opened the shop door.
"Before she convinces herself she's lost you."
Sunny had barely stepped into her house when she heard Sofia's cheerful voice.
"Mama bear!"
The little girl came running toward her before wrapping her arms tightly around her waist.
Sunny instinctively hugged her back.
"You're home!"
"I am."
"You look tired."
Sunny managed a smile. "I've had a long day."
Sofia tilted her head. "Did something happen?"
Before Sunny could answer, another knock echoed through the house.
Three slow, deliberate knocks.
Sunny frowned.
"I'll get it," she said quietly.
She walked toward the front door and opened it.
Her heart skipped. Olivia stood on the porch.
Out of breath.
Her hair was windswept, and her usually composed appearance had completely fallen apart.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Then Olivia finally broke the silence.
"I wasn't kissing her because I chose her."
Sunny's expression remained unreadable.
Olivia took another step forward.
"I came here because I don't want the last thing you remember is something that wasn't the whole truth."
Sunny tightened her grip on the doorknob.
"You've got five minutes." Olivia nodded.
"I only need one."
The air between them grew unbearably still.
Olivia drew in a slow, steady breath.
"I wasn't expecting you today."
Sunny folded her arms across her chest.
"I figured."
"When you walked into the back room..." Olivia continued, "...Juliet kissed me."
Sunny's face remained unreadable.
"I know what you saw."
"I saw enough."
"You saw the end of a moment," Olivia said softly. "Not how it started."
Sunny laughed bitterly.
"Does that really change anything?"
"It changes everything."
Silence stretched between them.
Olivia looked down for a moment before meeting Sunny's eyes again.
"I asked Juliet to meet me because I wanted to end things properly."
Sunny blinked.
Olivia continued before she could interrupt.
"After you left... after everything that happened with Melissa and Ariana... I convinced myself you weren't coming back."
Her voice trembled.
"I thought you had made your choice."
Sunny's expression softened just enough for Olivia to notice.
"I cared about Juliet," Olivia admitted.
"She is kind, patient... and she deserved someone who could love her completely."
"But?"
Olivia smiled sadly.
"But my heart had already made its decision."
She took another cautious step closer.
"It chose you."
Sunny looked away.
"You should've told me."
"I know."
"You should've called."
"I did."
"You should've waited."
"I waited for months."
Sunny closed her eyes.
Every word struck somewhere deep inside her.
"I was afraid," Olivia confessed.
"Every day that passed without hearing from you made me believe I'd imagined what was between us."
Sunny's shoulders slumped.
"I was afraid too."
Olivia frowned.
"Your grandmother..." Sunny let out a weary laugh.
"She threatened me."
Olivia's eyes widened.
"I thought if I stayed away... you'd have an easier life."
"You believed her?"
"I believed she'd make good on her threats."
Olivia shook her head, disbelief written across her face.
"You should've told me."
"I couldn't."
"You didn't even give me the chance to fight for us."
Sunny's lips parted, but no words came.
For weeks she had carried the burden alone, convinced she was protecting Olivia.
Instead, all she had done was hurt them both.
From the living room, Sofia peeked around the corner, her curious eyes moving between the two women.
She quietly looked toward Zara, who had arrived only minutes earlier to pick her up.
Zara pressed a finger to her lips.
"Come on," she whispered gently. "Let's give them some privacy."
Sofia nodded, though reluctantly.
As the front door clicked shut behind them, the house fell silent once more.
Olivia looked back at Sunny.
"I ended things with Juliet today."
Sunny searched her face.
"There isn't anyone else."
Another silence settled between them.
This one was different. It wasn't filled with anger.
It was filled with uncertainty. Finally, Sunny spoke.
"When I saw you two..." Her voice cracked.
"...it felt like I'd lost my chance."
"You haven't."
Olivia reached out slowly, leaving plenty of room for Sunny to step away.
Instead... Sunny looked at the offered hand for several long seconds.
Then, with trembling fingers, she placed her hand in Olivia's.
Neither of them spoke.
There were still wounds to heal. Trust to rebuild.
Questions that needed answers.
But for the first time in a long while, neither of them was walking away.
They stood together in the quiet doorway, holding onto each other as if daring fate to pull them apart again.