"Maybe love isn't a grand gesture.
Maybe it's the spaces between words, the steady hand on your back,
the courage to keep breathing, together."
The Morning After Senior Prom
The sun was barely up when Kade woke.
The room smelled like lavender and warm blankets, with the faintest trace of sweat and coffee.
Viera was still asleep beside him, tangled in the sheets, one arm flung over her face like a shield from the light.
He watched her breathe, slow and even. The freckles along her nose caught the morning glow.
His fingers itched to trace them, but he held back.
Not because he didn't want to.
But because some moments needed to be held without changing them.
Packing Quiet
Today was the last day of school.
The last day before they'd have to start thinking about college applications, moving out, figuring out what came after these familiar halls.
Viera was packing her bag slowly, methodically.
Kade stood in the doorway, watching.
"Hey," she said without looking up.
"Hey."
"Are you ready?"
He swallowed.
"I think I'm ready."
Shared Silence
They didn't say much after that.
Just sat together on the windowsill, the city sprawling beneath them—homes, streets, rooftops, all quiet and endless.
Viera shifted, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Kade closed his eyes.
He wanted to say something big.
Something that would capture all the years.
But words felt cheap.
So he just wrapped an arm around her.
A Small Gesture
Viera smiled.
Pulled out a small box from her pocket.
Handed it to him.
Inside: a simple silver ring.
Not flashy.
Just a circle.
"For when you forget," she said softly. "That I'm here."
Kade took it, fingers trembling.
"I won't."
The Future
They stood outside the school, sunlight warm on their faces.
Around them, students shouted and laughed—some crying, some cheering.
But Kade and Viera only had eyes for each other.
"We'll be okay," she whispered.
"We have to be," he replied.
They clasped hands.
A quiet promise.
Last Scene: The Hoodie
Kade slipped on his old, worn hoodie.
Viera tugged the hood up over his head.
"Ready?" she asked.
He smiled.
"Always."
And together, they walked forward—toward everything unknown.
End of The Anatomy of Shyness