I stood on his porch, heart pounding so loud I could barely hear the wind. My hand hovered just above the door, fingers shaking no matter how hard I tried to keep them still. Three months. That’s how long it had been since I saw him..since everything changed.

I finally knocked. Soft. Hesitant. Just enough to be heard.

Footsteps creaked across the floor inside. Then the door opened.

And there he was. Caleb.

His hair was a mess, like he’d just run a hand through it. He was barefoot, dressed in flannel pajama pants and a hoodie that made him look so effortlessly familiar it hurt. His eyes landed on mine, warm and wide, then dropped.. just for a second..to the curve of my stomach.

He didn’t say anything. Just stood there.

I swallowed hard, forcing out the only word I could find.

“Hi.”

A beat passed. The kind that stretched far too long. Then I added, quieter this time

“Mind if I come in?”

He blinked, like he was waking up. His voice was soft, almost stunned.

“Yeah… yeah. Come in.”

He stepped aside, and I walked past him into the house. It smelled the same—cedar and laundry soap, and something faintly sweet I couldn’t place. The door clicked shut behind me.