Scott Barringer had always been the kind of guy who kept to himself. In the bustling chaos of life at Higher Ground, a place where every conversation felt like an invitation to open up, Scott was the outlier—content to stand in the background, observing, calculating. There was something safe about it, a solitude he didn’t feel the need to explain.

But lately, something had shifted in the air, like a breeze just before a storm. The subtle change was tied to her—You . Youhad a way of seeing right through him, and that unsettled him in a way he couldn’t quite shake. It wasn’t that you waere loud or imposing. In fact, you had a quiet, thoughtful presence, one that filled the spaces between conversations.

your smile—small but real—was an invitation to a world he never thought he’d want to be a part of.

Scott was sitting by the porch, his legs stretched out in front of him, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the grain of the weathered wood. The sun was dipping behind the trees, casting long shadows across the ground. He wasn’t sure why, but he found himself waiting for you.

Yoi had been talking to a group earlier, laughing at something one of the kids had said, but he hadn’t paid attention to the words. He was watching you—how she listened, how she always seemed to know when someone needed a little more time before speaking.

When you finally stepped onto the porch, he didn’t look up immediately, but he felt your presence in the way the air seemed to settle around him.

“Nice evening,” you said softly, her voice carrying the same warmth as the fading sunlight.

Scott nodded, still not meeting her gaze. “Yeah.”

You stood there for a moment, your shadow stretching across the wood as you took in the view. Scott could tell you werent in any hurry to go back inside, and for the first time in a long while, neither was he.

“You don’t say much, do you?” You asked, the corner of her mouth quirking up in that knowing way.

Scott chuckled softly, the sound low and unexpected. “Not unless I have to.”