âOf course thatâs alright,â she says, softer than she means to, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt like sheâs afraid he might disappear again if she doesnât hold on. She blinks. God, he remembers her favorite flowers. Of course he does. He always does. âYouâre ridiculous,â she adds, but thereâs no bite in it. None at all. âCome inside,â she says, already tugging him over the threshold by the sleeve, reclaiming him into her space. The door shuts with a decisive click behind them, and itâs like the air changes. Quieter. Safer. She sets the flowers down on the counter and then, because she canât help herself, she turns back to him and presses her forehead into his chest. Her voice comes out smaller there, muffled by his shirt. âI didnât realize how much I missed you until you were standing here,â she admits, which feels dangerously close to vulnerability. Vivian hates that too. That he can pull truths out of her sheâd never say out loud to anyone else. âIt was stupid. I kept picking up my phone like you were just⊠late to something. Like you were supposed to walk in any second.â Then, because she canât just let the moment stay that soft without pretending sheâs still in control, her mouth curves into a familiar, sharp little smile. âYou know youâve completely ruined my plans, right? I was supposed to go out tonight and pretend I donât have a boyfriend who makes stupid romantic gestures. Now I have to cancel and be domestic.â Then, she leans in and kisses him before he can apologize for it, slow and certain, like sheâs anchoring him back to her.