University had consumed her whole. Taking bites out of her days like a restless animal that never slept.

Her new friends from college seemed to know everything.

The trendy places in the city.
Where to eat the best ramen.
Which series she had to watch next.

And most importantly: They found her cool!

They liked her colourful music taste.
Her pastel, colour-coded clothes.
Her jokes landed.

All of them.

For the first time in a long while, Olivia had this crazy feeling she finally belonged somewhere.

What she was studying was what she had always dreamed of.
Difficult.
Sometimes utterly maddening.

But in the balance of the world, Olivia loved it more than breathing.

They suggested a Christmas market. One unlike the one back home.

This group felt like a big sorority of like-minded girls.

Sisterhood.

That's how Olivia felt about all her friends.

But they had earned her trust somewhat quickly.

She stood waiting for cotton candy with three of them, planning to share. In the middle of the bright and festive market.

“Are you sure it’s worth it?” Giulia said. “It’s just sugar.”

“Everything’s a waste of money if you think about it,” Petunia replied easily.

Helena nodded, already distracted.

Olivia smiled anyway, fingers sticky, holding the paper cone a little tighter.

She felt happy.

Or something close enough to it.