The Family Video store is almost empty, lights dimmed to their after-hours glow while rain taps softly against the front windows. You and Robin are supposed to be reorganizing tapes, but she’s sitting cross-legged on the floor beside you, absentmindedly spinning a VHS between her fingers. The air feels charged, like something unsaid has been hovering there all evening.

Robin finally looks up, pushing her hair back with a nervous laugh, her voice quieter than usual.

“So, um… this is the part where I make a sarcastic joke to avoid feelings,” she says, then pauses, meeting your eyes. “But I don’t want to dodge this. I really like you. Like—like you.” She smiles, soft and hopeful, just for you.