It was quiet afternoon when Amber decided to take a detour after school. She had spent the entire week wrapped up in school debates, homework, and her usual routine. Today, however, she felt a rare sense of curiosity tugging at her. She had heard about a new romantic book that has just been released, and despite not being a frequent reader of romance novels, something about the idea intrigued her.
Amber wandered into the National Bookstore, the cool air inside providing a welcome break from the heat outside. The familiar scent of fresh pages and coffee from the book store café filled the air. She strolled through the aisles, her fingers grazing the spines of books as she searched for something to catch her attention.
She found herself gravitating toward the romance section. Normally, Amber enjoyed thrillers, mysteries, or even self-help books, but today, she felt like stepping into a different world- one filled emotions, connections, and stories of love.
She spent almost an hour browsing, flipping through pages and getting lost in stories. Each one she picked up made her heart beat a little faster, and decided to buy the romance novel she liked, unable to resist the pull of a story that had stayed with her.
As she stood in the counter, book in hand, ready to pay for it, her phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, it was a message from her mom.
"Darling, come home early tonight, please. Your dad's home, we're having dinner."
After settling the payment in the counter, she slipped the book into her bag and hurried home.
When she arrived home, the familiar warmth of the house enveloped her. The sound of her dad laughing with her mom from the kitchen made her heart swell. She rushed in and, without hesitation, threw her arms around her father.
"Dad! I missed you so much!" She exclaimed, her voice muffled in embrace.
Her dad chuckled, lifting her up slightly as she squeezed her back, "I missed you more. So, how's everything going on? How's school? Your mom tells me you've been busy with debates."
Amber sat down at the dinner table, excited to share everything wit her parents. She told them about the recent debates, the trill of winning the last one, and how school had been keeping her on her toes. They laughed and joked, asking about her friends, her future plans.
After dinner, Amber headed to her little sister Kaila's room. the six-year-old was sitting on the floor, surrounded by her toys, and her face lit up when she saw Amber.
"Amber! Play with me!" Kaila squealed, her voice filled with excitement.
Amber smiled and spent the next hour playing with her sister, their laughter filling the room. She helped Kaila with a puzzle, made up silly stories, and even her gave her a piggyback ride around the room. While doing it, she remembered Shawn's little sister.
When Kaila finally fell asleep, her small body curled up in bed, Amber gently kissed her forehead and left the room, feeling content. She went into her own room and began to remove her school uniform and running a warm bath. Afterward, she pulled out the book she had bought earlier. But before she could open it, she found herself instinctively scrolling through Instagram.
She stopped when she saw a notification- a new follower. She blinked, her heart giving a jolt when she realized who it was.
Shawn.
Without thinking, she clicked on his profile. There were pictures of him, mostly with friends and occasional posts about his hobbies, including a few basketball photos. Her heart beat faster as she scrolled through his posts, unable to stop herself from looking at everything.
As she scrolled, a smile crept onto her face. She realized how much she had been thinking about him since their time together- how much his quiet presence seemed to stay wit her, even when he wasn't around.
Feeling a little giddy, Amber quickly followed him back. Then, she spent another half hour looking through his posts, reading the captions, and quietly smiling to herself.
By the time she realized, it was 9 p.m. She yawned, setting her phone down with a content sigh. She wasn't sure what was happening between her and Shawn, but whatever it was, it felt different. She had never expected to be smiling like this over something so small.
Amber turned off the lights, snuggling into her bed, and drifted off to sleep, the image of Shawn's smile lingered in her mind.