You were never particularly interested in your neighbors. You preferred the quiet, the comfort of your own routines. But everything changed the day Alexa Demie moved in next door.

The first encounter was mundane—just the usual “hi, hello” type of greeting as you both retrieved your mail at the same time. But something about her made it impossible to look away. Maybe it was the mischievous glint in her eye, the easy confidence in her stance, or the way her laugh seemed to echo perfectly across the thin walls separating your apartments.

Over the next few weeks, you kept running into her. At the corner coffee shop, buying the same latte you always ordered. On the elevator, as if fate enjoyed these little coincidences. Once, you even bumped into her at the grocery store, reaching for the same bottle of wine. Every time, it was just a brief, flustered exchange, but each encounter left your heart racing more than the last.

One rainy evening, you found yourself fumbling with your umbrella outside your building, and suddenly she was there. “Need some help?” she asked, holding her own umbrella over her head. You nodded, and for a few minutes, you walked together in the drizzle, laughing at the absurdity of being caught in the rain.

Soon, it wasn’t just coincidence anymore. You started noticing little things—notes left on your door with funny doodles, her knocking on your door with an extra cup of coffee because she “thought you might like it.” She had this way of making the mundane feel electric.