True love is permanent once found, and it only appears when you least expect it.

A week has passed ever since we left the safe house.

Kennedy was driving, Andy was right beside him and I and Sophie were in the passenger seats.

Andy hummed to himself—probably singing a lovely song again.

The car hummed, groaned and the road was crusty that it shook the car.

“Young man.” Andy addressed towards Kennedy.

Sophie was sleeping and I closed my eyelids as well.

“Hm?” I heard Kennedy hum.

There was a long silence between the two. I carefully lifted my eyelid—just enough to see what was going on. Andy looked behind himself then back at Kennedy.

“You ain’t told us much about yourself,” Andy finally said. His voice was quiet, but there was weight to his words.

Kennedy kept his eyes on the road, gripping the wheel just a little tighter. “Not much to tell.”

Andy chuckled, shaking his head. “Now, I don’t believe that. A man like you? You got stories. Everyone does.”

The car jolted over a particularly deep crack in the road, making Sophie stir in her sleep. I kept my breathing steady, pretending to be asleep too, but my ears were sharp, catching every word.

Kennedy exhaled through his nose. “What do you wanna know?”

“Where did you come from? You don’t sound like you’re from around here,” Andy said, his tone light but laced with curiosity.

Kennedy was quiet for a moment. The car’s low hum and the wind rattling through the cracked windows filled the silence.

“Russia,” he finally said.

Andy raised his brows. “Russia, huh? Long way from home.”

Kennedy only nodded.

“And what brought you here?” Andy pressed.

Kennedy’s fingers flexed on the wheel. “Work.”

Andy hummed again, as if piecing something together in his head. “Dangerous work?”

Kennedy didn’t answer right away. “If you think being a cop is dangerous then, I guess so.” He muttered.

Another long pause.

“You ever been in love, son?” Andy asked suddenly.

Kennedy let out a soft, breathy chuckle. “Strange question.”

“Not really,” Andy said. “The world’s gone to hell. Love’s the only thing that still makes people human.”

Kennedy cackled as if he just made a joke. “As if, love is for the weak, old man.”

“Heyyy! How dare you call love weak?” Andy grumbled.

Kennedy shrugged, drawing a long arc on his face.

“How old even are you, boy?”

“24”

“God damn you’re young. I mean Alisha as well but—oh god.” Andy shook his head.

Kennedy grinned and waved it off.

Andy sighed, shaking his head. “Kids these days.”

Kennedy smirked. “Kids?”

“You heard me,” Andy said, crossing his arms. “You might be all tough now, boy, but one day, you’ll see. Love ain’t weak. It’s the strongest damn thing in the world.”

Kennedy scoffed. “If it was so strong, where is it now?”

Andy went quiet. His fingers tapped against his knee again, slower this time. “It’s still here,” he said after a moment. “Just different.”

Kennedy didn’t respond. His smirk had faded slightly, his eyes focused ahead. The road stretched into the horizon, empty and endless.

Andy sighed again. “Bet you never had your heart broken, huh?”

Kennedy chuckled dryly. “Never gave anyone the chance.”

Andy clicked his tongue. “That’s a shame. A man learns a lot from love.”

Kennedy shot him a sideways glance. “And what did you learn?”

Andy smiled to himself. “That it’s worth it.” He glanced back at Sophie, still peacefully asleep. His voice softened. “Even if it hurts. Even if it don’t last forever.”

For the first time, Kennedy didn’t have a snarky reply. His fingers only tightened slightly on the wheel.

Andy leaned back, satisfied. “You’ll see one day, boy.”

Kennedy scoffed but didn’t argue.

I stayed still, listening, feeling something I couldn’t quite name settle in my chest.

Suddenly I sneezed.

“I knew your weren’t sleeping, bug.” Kennedy pointed out as Andy got confused.

“Huh?? How did you know?”

“Sleeping people don’t sneeze, and you just did which proved that fact.”

Andy chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, I’ll be damned. Kid’s sharper than he looks.”

I sat up, rubbing my nose. “How do you know if I was or wasn’t asleep? Until you two started talking about love like it’s some big mystery.”

Kennedy smirked. “It is a mystery. A useless one.”

Andy scoffed. “There he goes again.” He turned to me. “What about you, Alisha? You think love is weak too?”

I hesitated, glancing between them. Kennedy was watching me now, his blue eyes expectant, waiting for my answer.

“I don’t think it’s weak,” I admitted. “But I don’t think it’s strong either. I think it just… is.”

Andy hummed in thought. “Interesting answer.”

Kennedy snorted. “Spoken like someone who’s never been in love.”

I crossed my arms. “And you have?”

His smirk widened. “I’m sure you heard the answer when Andy was asking about it earlier. Meanwhile you were sleeping” He laughed as he pronounces ‘sleeping’ with a sarcastic tone.

“Hope you be damned, Jake Frost!!”

Andy groaned dramatically. “Lord help the both of you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, but deep down, I wasn’t sure what was so funny.

The car kept moving forward, the night stretching out ahead of us.

“Jake Frost you say? Haha.” Kennedy mocked.

Andy chuckled. “She got you there, son.”

Kennedy shook his head, smirking. “Jake Frost… real creative, bug.”

I huffed, crossing my arms. “Well, you act like some cold-hearted ice man, so it fits. As well as your looks.”

Kennedy placed a hand over his chest mockingly. “Ouch. That actually hurt.”

Andy scoffed. “Boy, if that hurt you, you ain’t as tough as you think.”

Kennedy just grinned, drumming his fingers against the wheel. “I’ll survive.”

Sophie yawned as she woke up.

“Happy 3000th year my Wife!” Andy joked with her.

“Really funny, Honey. Really funny.” She chuckled in response so did the rest. How cute is their love. Kind of jealous to be honest—in a good way.

Andy looked back and fourth between me and Kennedy. Kennedy was completely focused on the road as Andy cleared his throat.

“Hey, Darling” He addressed to Sophie as she tilted her head—gesture that she’s listening.

“I bet these youngsters are jealous of us!” He blurted out.

Sophie giggled, stretching her arms. “Oh, Andy, don’t go teasing them now.”

Kennedy scoffed. “Jealous? Of what?”

Andy smirked. “Of love, boy. Of something real.”

Kennedy rolled his eyes. “Oh please, old man. I don’t have time for all that nonsense.”

Andy let out a deep laugh. “That’s what they all say before it hits them like a brick.”

I shook my head, trying to hold back a smile. “Not everyone falls in love, Andy.”

Andy gasped dramatically. “Blasphemy! Love finds everyone, sooner or later.”

Kennedy smirked, glancing at me for a split second before turning back to the road. “Guess I’ll be the first exception then.”

Sophie chuckled, leaning her head against Andy’s seat from behind. “That’s what you think now, dear.”

Andy grinned. “Mark my words, boy. One day, you’ll be looking at someone the way I look at my wife, and you’ll finally get what I mean.”

Kennedy just hummed in amusement. “Sure, old man. I’ll hold my breath for that.”

Andy only shook his head, clearly unconvinced. “We’ll see.”

“Did you think of me while I was asleep, Honey?” Sophie giggled with a soft smile.

“Thought of you? You know I never think of you, Darling”

Sophie chuckled. “How come?”

“For me to think of you, I have to forget you, right?” He paused, clasping her hand softly, kissing it and gently caressing it. “You’re always on my mind. My heart. My eyes. So there is no reason for me to think of you, my Love.”

I felt my chest tighten at the sight of them. The way Andy looked at Sophie—the warmth in his eyes, the way his fingers lingered against hers—it was something I didn’t think existed anymore. Something soft in a world that had turned so harsh.

Kennedy let out a low whistle. “Damn, old man. You sure you weren’t a poet in another life?”

Andy laughed, shaking his head. “Boy, when you love someone for as long as I have, words come easy.”

Sophie squeezed his hand, smiling up at him. “Oh, Andy, you always know what to say.”

I watched them, a strange feeling settling deep in my stomach. A good kind of jealousy, I told myself. The kind that made you wonder—what would it be like?

I snuck a glance at Kennedy, but he was focused on the road, his expression unreadable.

Andy caught it.

He grinned, nudging Sophie. “See that, Darling? The youngsters are thinkin’ about it now.”

Kennedy groaned. “Alright, alright. That’s enough romance talk for one night.”

Andy smirked. “Hit a nerve, did we?”

Kennedy shot him a dry look. “Not in the slightest.”

Andy chuckled, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. “Sure, sure. Just wait, son. One day, you’ll see.”

I turned my head to the window, watching the dark horizon stretch endlessly ahead.

Would we ever get to see a world where love mattered again?

I wasn’t sure. But I wanted to believe it.