They leaned back and let their head fall against the couch cushion, eyes closing.
I want to do this,they thought. Clearly. Calmly.With her.
Slow. Careful. Real.
That meant trusting her when she spoke, even when it was uncomfortable. It meant not assuming the worst just because something hurt.
They opened their eyes again and stared at the hallway leading to the bedroom.
Savannah hadn’t come out yet.
Tilly waited anyway.
They could hear drawers opening. The soft thump of something being set down. The normal sounds of someone getting ready, grounding, and ordinary, and somehow precious.
When they stood a few minutes later, it wasn’t out of restlessness. It was a decision.
They grabbed their jacket from the chair and slipped it on, then paused, fingers curling into the fabric.
* * *
The diner was half full, the kind of place that smelled like coffee and butter no matter what time of day it was.
They slid into a booth by the window, vinyl cracked from years of use. Savannah took the seat facing the door out of habit.Tilly noticed and didn’t comment.
A waitress appeared almost immediately, pad already in hand.
“Coffee?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” Savannah said.
“Definitely,” Tilly added.
The waitress poured without ceremony, the mug warm in Tilly’s hands the second it touched the table. She set creamers between them, topped Savannah’s cup off again for good measure, then disappeared back toward the counter.
There was a beat of quiet.
Savannah lifted her mug, took a sip, then set it down carefully.
“So,” she said at the same time Tilly did, “we should talk.”
They both froze.
Savannah blinked, then let out a small, surprised laugh. “Sorry.”
Tilly smiled despite themself. “No. That tracks.”
They took a breath, fingers curling around the mug.
“I’ll start,” Tilly said. “If that’s okay?”
Savannah nodded. “Yeah.”
Tilly looked down at the table for a second, gathering the right words, then back up at her.
“I’m sorry,” they said. Plain. Unqualified. “For not trusting you. For walking out instead of listening.”
Savannah’s shoulders loosened slightly. She didn’t interrupt.
