That was all.
No flirting. No asking for my phone number.
Three days later, I bumped into him again at a coffee shop near my office. After that, seeing each other slowly became routine.
And somehow, before I even realized it, he had become part of my everyday life.
My boyfriend was thoughtful, patient, and remembered tiny details nobody else ever noticed, like how much I hated driving after dark, exactly how I drank my coffee, which day garbage pickup came, and when my car was overdue for an oil change.
After spending years handling everything by myself, having someone care for me felt unfamiliar, sometimes even uncomfortable, but it also felt peaceful.
Ava noticed the change in my life long before I admitted it to myself.
And for whatever reason, she disliked him immediately.
At first, I told myself it was normal.
I blamed it on teenage moods, lingering loyalty to her father, or maybe fear that someone new would change our lives.
