Saturday night settled over the city like a slow exhale, and by the time Sera stepped out of the hospital, every muscle in her body carried the weight of a long shift that refused to loosen its grip.
She pushed through the glass doors with a quiet breath, already running through what she needed to do next, her mind fixed on the date waiting ahead, on Augustine, and the strange mix of anticipation and restraint tightening somewhere deep in her chest.
She barely made it halfway across the parking lot before Leon stepped into her path, cutting her off with a timing that felt a little too intentional to be coincidence.
"Sera," he said, his voice lighter than usual, almost casual, "I'm off duty too. How about we grab dinner together?"
She paused, and for a second, her expression softened into something polite but tired, the kind of smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
