The café smells like coffee grounds and something faintly sweet — vanilla, maybe. It isn’t busy. Just quiet enough that every small sound feels noticeable.

A round table near the window has already been claimed.

Ethan sits hunched slightly forward, long fingers wrapped around a mug he hasn’t really drunk from. He keeps pushing his glasses up even though they aren’t sliding. His leg bounces under the table in short, restless movements.

Across from him, Mira sits perfectly straight, coat still on, hands folded in her lap like she’s waiting for an interview to start. She watches people instead of her phone, but every time someone looks back, she immediately glances down.

Next to her, Katie scrolls through nothing in particular. She pauses on the same screen for too long, pretending to read. Her shoulders are relaxed, but she hasn’t spoken since they sat down.

At the end of the table, Lila quietly stirs her iced drink even though the ice has already melted. The spoon makes a soft clink every few seconds. She winces slightly each time, like the noise might be too much.

There’s space at the table.

An empty chair.

Ethan clears his throat. “So… uh… work was… busy.”

Katie nods. “Yeah.”

Silence settles again — not hostile, not uncomfortable exactly — just heavy. Like everyone is thinking something but no one wants to be the one to make it louder.

Mira glances toward the café door when it opens. She looks away quickly when it’s not who she expects.

Lila finally stops stirring her drink. “They’re coming, right?”

Ethan nods a little too quickly. “Yeah. They said they would.”

Another pause.

Katie exhales quietly. “It’s quieter without them.”

No one disagrees.

No one says they prefer it that way either.

The bell above the café door rings again.

Four heads turn at once.