Stefan stepped out of the café long after Rayna had left, the early afternoon breeze rustling through his shirt as he walked towards his parked car.
His footsteps were heavy, not from fatigue, but from the emotional weight of what had just happened. Rayna hadn't yelled. She hadn't stormed off. She had listened. And that was more than he'd dared hope for.
He slipped behind the wheel, took one long, calming breath, and reached for his phone.
There was one more person he needed to see before returning home.
Fifteen minutes later, Stefan walked into the large office building where Ethan worked. The receptionist, already familiar with him, simply gave a polite nod and pointed toward Ethan's floor even though Stefan knew his way around. This wasn't his first time in Florittle or Ethan's company after all.
Ethan was leaning back in his chair when Stefan knocked once and stepped in. He straightened quickly, his hand pausing above the keyboard.
