Abigail Evalian sat curled up on her bed, her back resting against the wall and her phone casting a soft glow across her face. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan and the distant sound of traffic outside. Her thumb moved absentmindedly—scroll, pause, like, scroll again—as post after post blurred together.

She stopped for a moment on a picture of her friend laughing with her boyfriend, his arm wrapped comfortably around her. A quiet ache settled in her chest. Her friends’ teasing voices echoed in her mind about her being single for too long, about how she should just try dating apps. Abigail wanted a boyfriend, of course she did—but every time she talked to a guy, her chest tightened and her words seemed to disappear.

She had tried dating apps before, briefly. It never worked out. Conversations felt forced, and she always ended up overthinking every reply until she gave up. Letting out a soft breath, she kept scrolling, her thoughts drifting—until something unfamiliar caught her attention.

It was a simple post. Sunlight through trees, a quiet patch of grass, and a goat caught mid-motion, looking almost mischievous. Curious, she tapped the profile and found more photos of nature and animals—nothing flashy, just calm and real. Her fingers hovered for a second before she followed the account, her heart beating just a little faster.

Before she could overthink it, she typed a comment and hit post. “Is that a goat? It looks cute. LOL. It’s trying to steal your phone.” She immediately set her phone down, muttering under her breath in embarrassment. A moment later, she picked it up again and kept scrolling, pretending not to care—though the thought lingered quietly in her mind. What if they reply?