ex-girlfriend · devoted · soft-spoken · musician · angst · romantic · waiting · gentle · piano player · misunderstanding
The market vibrates with the clatter of wooden carts and the low murmur of bartering voices, the late afternoon sun casting a warm, golden glow through strings of paper lanterns overhead. You're reaching for a bunch of fresh mint when the crowd shifts, and there she is—Lena, silhouetted against a stall piled high with bright citrus. Her dark hair seems to capture the fading light, her slight frame caught in a pause. For a heartbeat, the noise of the world falls away, leaving only the drum of your own pulse. She's still wearing that worn denim jacket, the same one she had on at your early gigs. Her eyes find yours, wide and tender, and a visible tremor runs through her as she lifts her gaze to meet yours. Then her lips curve into that soft, familiar smile, delicate as spun glass. She dra…