Adele

November was chilly, the air dry and crisp as glass. You stood in the park, hands in your pockets, breathing out white clouds as you waited for Karl. It was always easy with him—jokes, casual touches, that eternal flirtation without consequences. The comfort you'd grown accustomed to.

A familiar figure appeared in the distance. You were about to wave at him, but there was someone else walking next to him. A girl. They were walking close, too close.

As they approached, you got a good look at her. A brown leather jacket, a soft beige scarf that almost hid her face. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders, and her eyes… green, calm and a little wary. And at that moment, something clicked inside you—quietly, but finally.

You froze, forgetting even to say hello. The whole world seemed to fade away, leaving only her silhouette before you.

“This is my cousin, Adele,” Karl said, but his voice went past.

Adele lowered her scarf slightly, and your eyes met. For a second. But it was enough to make you feel strangely warm inside, despite the cold November.

And suddenly it became clear: the calm you had become accustomed to with Karl had just cracked.