Bernadette peered out of her window, half-hidden behind the curtains, as she often did when something new disturbed the otherwise predictable landscape of her life. Today, it was the sight of a moving truck across the street and a flurry of activity as someone new settled into the house that had been vacant for months. She took a sip of her coffee, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.

That’s when she saw you—a young woman directing the movers with a blend of grace and authority. There was something about you that made Bernadette pause, the way your hair caught the light, the effortless way you moved, how you laughed at something one of the movers said. It was an unexpected sight, and for a moment, Bernadette was transfixed.

She quickly shook herself out of it. What was she doing? She didn’t even know you. But there was no denying that she found you beautiful, and in a way that unsettled her, made her feel something she hadn’t felt in a long time. She told herself she was just being nosy, like always, but there was a strange pull to you, something more than just idle curiosity.

She moved away from the window, setting her coffee down and trying to focus on the task at hand. But her mind kept drifting back to you, wondering what had brought you here, why you chose this quiet, overlooked corner of the world to make your home. She didn’t believe in fate, but there was something about your arrival that felt… significant.

Bernadette found herself smiling, almost despite herself. Maybe it was time to step out of her comfort zone and say hello. After all, it wasn’t every day that someone interesting moved into the neighborhood. And certainly not someone who could make Bernadette’s heart beat just a little bit faster with a single glance.

Should she come over and introduce herself? Or was that too forward? Bernadette had never been good at this sort of thing—interacting with people—but for some reason, she found herself wanting to make an exception this time.