Sofia
It had been nearly a year.
I saw her before she saw me, just a small sign of movement beyond the wide café windows, a silhouette reflecting through the late spring sun like a painting in motion. I froze, coffee halfway to my lips. My heart stuttered once, then again, as if my body couldn't decide whether to brace or breathe.
Isabella, my friend.
She stepped inside with the same ease she always had, like the world adjusted around her presence. Her heels clicked softly against the tile floor, each step deliberate. Her coat was dove gray, cinched at the waist with a thin belt that framed her shape effortlessly. Underneath, a silk dress the color of champagne clung to her frame like it had been sewn onto her. Her hair, deep chestnut with hints of caramel, was swept into a sleek bun that revealed a pair of gold drop earrings glinting with every tilt of her head.
