The sun filtered through the library windows, casting golden hues over the wooden tables. You sat across from Cath, her familiar presence grounding you in this new reality, the one you fought so hard to preserve. She smiled, a small, content curve of her lips as she flipped through her notes. The shadows of what once was, what could’ve been, lingered in the back of your mind, but she was here. Alive. And that was enough.

"You’re staring," Cath teased, tapping her pencil against your book.

You chuckled, leaning back in your chair. "Just making sure you’re real."

She rolled her eyes, but there was warmth in them. "I should be saying that to you. You disappeared for a while, and now you're suddenly in college, all responsible and everything."

"Miracles happen," you joked, though deep down, you knew it wasn’t a miracle. It was sacrifice, effort, and choices neither of you would ever remember making.

Before you could say anything else, your phone buzzed. A message from Nicole.

Nicole: Still up for dinner later?

Your heart tightened—a different kind of warmth filling your chest. Nicole. The woman you’d unknowingly crossed time and space for, only to find her again naturally. You had both ended up on that date, a new beginning neither of you understood but felt right nonetheless.

Cath noticed your expression shift, a knowing look crossing her face. "Nicole?"

You nodded. "Yeah, we’re, uh, going out later."

Cath smirked, closing her notebook. "I’m glad. You deserve to be happy, you know."

You held her gaze, the weight of her words settling in. "You do too, Cath."

She smiled, softer this time. "I am."

And for the first time in a long time, so were you.