The weather in Brooksville shifted that fall. The heat of summer finally broke, replaced by a cool breeze that swirled through the town like whispers of change. For the first time in months, the world seemed to pause just for a moment giving everyone a chance to breathe.
But inside Jeremy's house, things felt anything but still.
Stephanie — Steph, as everyone called her stood by the front window, staring out at the leaves turning gold and orange, the kind of colors that seemed to match her mood. Her mind was spinning.
Across the room, Noah sat on the couch, flipping through a book for school, his eyes gliding over the pages without truly seeing them. He was lost in thought, just like Steph.
It had been weeks since they had had their moment the unspoken tension between them that had swirled unnoticed until that one evening when everything had seemed to hang in the air.
The way Noah had looked at her.
The way she had tried to ignore it, pretending it was nothing.
But it wasn't nothing. It was something, and it was starting to make her feel like she was losing control.
The spark was there, undeniable.
And yet, Steph didn't know what to do with it.
She had always thought she and Noah would end up together.
She had even told everyone at school that they were going to get married one day, jokingly, of course, but also seriously, deep down in the places she kept secret from herself.
But now...
Now she wasn't so sure.
Was this just the closeness of growing up together? Or was it something more?
"Steph?"
She blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts, realizing she'd been standing there for far too long.
She turned to find Noah's gaze on her, searching, worried.
"You good?" he asked, a softness in his voice that always made her heart flutter, even if she tried to hide it.
Steph forced a smile, nodding quickly.
"Yeah. Just thinking."
"About what?" Noah asked, setting the book aside and leaning forward slightly.
"Just school stuff. You know, finals are coming up. And Dad's well, everything's been fine," she said, but the words felt like they didn't fit. She couldn't say what was really on her mind — she wasn't sure she could even admit it to herself yet.
Noah, always the perceptive one, could tell she was hiding something. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't press her.
Instead, he smiled, trying to make light of the moment. "You should relax. You've been looking at that window for the last hour. Want to go grab some ice cream? My treat."
"Your treat? I'm not so sure you have enough money to treat me."
He laughed, the sound familiar and comforting. "Hey, I've got a job at the restaurant. A very generous tipper came in yesterday, and I've got enough for a few cones."
"Nice try," she teased, but the corners of her mouth turned up.
She needed to get out of her head, at least for a little while.
---
Outside the restaurant, the cool evening air hit them like a splash of water.
Noah and Steph walked side by side, not saying much, just enjoying the silence. But there was something unspoken between them, a current that neither of them could ignore. It wasn't just the cold weather that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, it was the way their shoulders brushed occasionally, like the universe was reminding them that the space between them was shrinking.
The ice cream shop was busy, the line long, but Steph didn't mind. She was happy to be distracted. Happy to pretend that everything was normal, even if it was getting harder to pretend.
"Hey, Noah?" she asked after a long pause, her voice low, almost hesitant.
"Yeah?"
She hesitated, her fingers playing with the edge of her coat. "Do you ever wonder what comes next?"
Noah raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. Like where we're going? What happens when we're older?" she asked, trying to make the question sound casual, but even to her own ears, it sounded loaded.
Noah gave her a half-smile, the kind that always made her stomach flip. "I mean... I guess that's something we all think about, right? But I'm not too worried. I've got you guys, right? As long as I've got that, I think I can handle whatever's next."
She smiled softly, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
That wasn't exactly what she meant, but she couldn't say it.
Not yet.
They stood in line for ice cream, each lost in their own thoughts. When they finally paid for their cones, they walked back to the park near the restaurant. The crisp night air felt good, soothing in a way that made Steph feel more alive and aware of everything around her. Every step she took felt heavier, the world pressing in on her with each beat of her heart.
It was then that she noticed someone across the street.
Hassan.
He was standing under the dim light of a streetlamp, hands shoved in his pockets, staring down at the ground as if lost in thought. There was something different about him tonight. The way his posture was slumped, the way he looked so much older than the boy she had first met.
Steph stopped walking for a moment, just staring at him, her heart skipping a beat. She didn't know what it was about Hassan his quiet intensity, the weight he carried with him but there was always something magnetic about him.
Noah noticed her pause and followed her gaze, frowning. "What's up?"
Steph quickly turned her attention back to Noah, hiding the strange flutter in her chest. "Nothing. I just, I don't know. I think he's been struggling lately."
Noah's expression softened, but he didn't say anything. He didn't need to. They both knew how hard it was for Hassan. The pain of abandonment that he never spoke of, the silent weight of his mother's choices.
---
Flashback to a year earlier.
Hassan had arrived on Jeremy's doorstep late one cold autumn night. His mother had left him there, and no one knew exactly why. She had always been a single mother, struggling to make ends meet, but Hassan had always been a quiet boy, one who kept to himself.
She had left him with only a small note folded tightly in his jacket pocket. A note that said everything without ever saying anything at all.
"Jeremy,
You don't know me
I can't do this anymore.
I'm sorry. Please take care of him.
I'm sorry.
– Mariam Malik"
The note was all that remained. No introduction. No explanations. No promises.
Just a broken woman who had run out of hope, and a son who would have to find his way without her.
Jeremy had been shocked, of course, and confused. Hassan was a quiet boy, so unsure of how to even ask for help. But Jeremy opened his doors anyway, taking him in without hesitation. Hassan had come in silently, eyes filled with unspoken fears, and Jeremy had given him the only thing he could — a place to stay, a meal to eat, and a chance at something better.
---
Back in the present, the next morning.
The weight of the night before still clung to Steph. She went about her day mechanically, moving through classes and chores without truly being present. Everything felt like it was shifting beneath her feet, like a house settling into the earth.
That afternoon, she sat on the porch of Jeremy's house, waiting for Hassan to show up for their study session. He was always punctual, always reliable. But today, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was pulling away.
It was just a feeling, an instinct.
But it was enough to make her heart race.