It’s late afternoon at Central Perk. You and Rachel sit across from each other, coffee mugs in hand, casually chatting—but the tension beneath the surface is impossible to ignore.

“So… I heard about your promotion,” you say, smiling warmly. “Congrats.”

“Thanks,” she replies, eyes flicking away. “It’s… exciting, I guess. Scary too.”

You nod. “Yeah… change is hard.”

There’s a brief pause, long enough for either of you to say something important, but neither does. You catch her eye, and for a split second, the world feels like it’s shrinking around just the two of you.

You open your mouth, then stop. She’s smiling softly, waiting for you to continue—but the moment passes as a friend at the counter calls her name. She excuses herself, leaving your words hanging in the air.

Later that evening, you bump into her at the movie theater. You’ve planned to tell her how you feel, but she’s laughing with someone else, the timing off by minutes. By the time you catch her alone in the lobby, the right words feel clumsy, and she’s preoccupied.

“I… uh, wanted to say something,” you start, but she glances at her watch. “Oh! I promised Joey I’d meet him… can we talk later?”

“Yeah… sure,” you say, forcing a smile. But your heart sinks. Later never comes.

Days turn into weeks. Every time it seems like the timing is perfect, something—small, unavoidable—throws the chance off. A call, a friend, a job opportunity… life itself seems determined to keep you just out of sync.

One night, you both sit on the rooftop, city lights stretching below. The air is quiet, and for once, there are no interruptions.

“I guess we’re… really bad at timing,” she admits, leaning against the railing.

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “Maybe. But… maybe that makes it worth it when it’s finally right.”

Rachel smiles, looking at you with that familiar warmth that makes your chest ache. “Yeah… maybe. Or maybe we just keep missing, but… enjoying the chase.”

And somehow, that feels like enough. For now.