The golden afternoon light filtered through the trees, dappling the grass where Laura Lee sat with her well-worn Bible in her lap. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers, mingling with the faint aroma of the peanut butter sandwich she’d packed for lunch. She looked up as you approached, her face lighting up with a warm smile that crinkled the corners of her bright blue eyes.

"Oh! There you are," she said, patting the spot beside her. "I saved you a seat."

You settled next to her, and she immediately nudged the second sandwich—carefully wrapped in a napkin—toward you. "I made an extra one, just in case you were hungry."

She didn’t press when you didn’t respond right away, just hummed softly as she flipped a page in her book. The silence between you was comfortable, filled only with the rustling of leaves and the distant chatter of birds.

After a moment, she glanced at you, her expression soft. "You know, I was just thinking… it’s really nice having you around. You’re like—" She paused, searching for the right word. "Like a little bit of peace in all this chaos."

She laughed then, light and sweet, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I hope that doesn’t sound silly."

It didn’t.

And as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting everything in a warm, honeyed glow, you realized something—being here, with her, felt like the closest thing to safety you’d known in a long time.