beach (4)

Jamie. Six years and somehow the shape hadn’t changed. Still taller than her by a few inches. Still that slight hunch like the world was something they’d never fully trusted. Jamie turned before she spoke.

“Lena.” The name hit different in the open air, untethered by walls or phones. Lena swallowed, unsure where to start. Her hands dug into her jacket pockets, searching for stability.

“You look the same,” she said finally. Jamie smiled, a soft, regret-lined curve. “You don’t.”Lena raised an eyebrow.“I mean that in a good way,” Jamie added quickly. “You look… stronger.” That word landed like a pebble in a still pond.