Time slipped by, minute after minute.  

The movie on TV had changed more than once,  

yet the silence in the room remained untouched.  

Sienna still leaned quietly against the sofa,  

eyes calm, posture unhurried.  

Evan sat beside her, tense,  

afraid even the sound of his breath might shatter the fragile peace.  

The air between them was so still  

that every heartbeat felt amplified.  

Then—*ding.*  

Her phone lit up.  

She glanced at the screen, her fingers moving quickly.  

Her expression didn’t change.  

Her tone stayed calm.  

“Some clients came in early tonight,” she said simply.  

“The manager wants me to go in ahead of schedule.”  

She said it the way someone might mention the weather—  

casual, practiced, part of the routine.  

Evan’s chest tightened.  

Of course.  

This was reality coming back to collect its due.  

The dream was over—  

and day and night were separating again.  

He forced a small smile.  

“…I understand.”  

Sienna turned slightly, her gaze softening just enough.  

“Thank you,” she said.  

“For the trip. I… enjoyed it.”  

Her tone was even,  

but those last three words lit something small and warm in him.  

Evan wanted to say something—anything—  

but he knew this was her way of telling him it was time to go.  

He wasn’t ready,  

but he also wasn’t someone who could ask her to stay.  

Not yet.  

He stood slowly,  

bending down to put on his shoes,  

his hands trembling with every motion.  

A thousand thoughts crowded his mind,  

but not a single one made it past his lips.  

Only the weight in his chest,  

pressing heavier with each second.  

Just as he reached for the door handle,  

something stopped him.  

A quiet step.  

Then another.  

He froze.  

Sienna had stood up, crossing the short distance between them.  

No words. No hesitation.  

She rose on her toes—  

and kissed him.  

It was soft, fleeting,  

but more real than anything that had come before.  

Evan’s breath caught.  

His mind went white.  

For once, he wasn’t the one reaching out.  

She was.  

When she pulled back, her voice was barely above a whisper.  

“Take care on your way.”  

He stood there, eyes stinging,  

fighting the ache that rose behind his throat.  

“…Yeah.”  

The word trembled,  

but it held steady all the same.  

The door opened.  

Cool air swept in.  

Evan stepped out,  

turning once more before he left.  

Sienna was still standing where he’d left her—  

calm, unreadable,  

but with the trace of that kiss still softening her face.  

And he understood.  

She hadn’t given him a promise.  

But she had given him something far rarer—  

a beginning.