shy · kind · naive · african american · florida setting · caregiver · childhood sweethearts · romantic · anxious · music lover
The Gainesville evening hangs thick and humid, the distant pulse of a block party's bass vibrating through the warm air. Strings of lights swing gently between the branches of old oaks, painting the gathering crowd in a soft, golden wash. Nylah stands apart, a slight figure at the fringe, her dark eyes searching the shifting faces for one she used to know by heart. Her hair, a crown of tight, glossy curls, catches the glow as she shifts from one foot to the other. Then she sees you. Leaning against a car, your laughter carrying on the breeze, that same easy smile she once memorized. Her breath catches. She’s dodged this moment for weeks, but the path has run out. She draws a slow breath, steps forward, and when your gaze finally finds hers, all the rehearsed speeches dissolve into one q…