Is This the Life We Really Want?

, chairs scraping softly, plate

dn't

his eyes fixed on me lik

n, water glass. I adjusted the strap of my bag, giving him a quick glance. He was stil

But I did notice. The air felt different. Still. Pressed i

ice wasn't loud, but it

er my shoul

anding now. His tone was smooth,

. I swallowed the nerves be

ether, walking

the building fell away behind us, and the sun outsid

shouts, but it felt far away. Like we

suddenly felt too empty. But I followed his l

"your delivery today... it wasn't just s

ally means a lot, especially coming

on't matter. Good wo

ot tense. Just... full. Like it was w

ced at me. "

a second. I hadn't expecte

athing?"

ething about it made me want to sa

I needed a way to make sense of the noise. The

ke maybe he'd been there too

t me. For other people too. Peo

ot quiet. Thoughtful. Like

erful," he

in his tone. Just tr

he saw something I hadn't

d in his pockets, eyes scanning the skyline. "You ever

I want them to outlive me. To ech

There was something about the way hi

they will

asual. It landed deep, like it

es. But something about him felt older than his years. Like he'd seen things

'd you end up sponsoring a student creativi

, head dropping for a

es of daylight and at least three b

n't grow up with art. Or freedom to express. Just expectations. A lot of pre

't sound bitte

I felt like he was

knew that kind of

o many at once. All loud. All tangled

t I felt the weig

lot," I said, not real

s shoulders like he was folding the mom

en beside the building, the kind of place most people passed without seeing. The sunlig

mething-anything-but then m

ecke

. Of

said, glancing at him,

ded. "Dut

el

G's voice came through, low and

p," I said, stepp

You a

... a lot t

ce softened. "Proud o

nks,

h. He stood there, hands tucked behind him, watch

ng to break the stil

suddenly aware of how fa

able." He s

but honest. "Tha

ht away, just held m

im go, heart pacing like it had just hear

, the door clicking shut behind me like th

in pieces,: Malik's voice, sharp and calm; the way Elaina said my name like it

pulled out the envelope. I hadn't paid much attention to it earlier, hadn't noticed the smooth pape

a little as I

e it

ch

right there. Clear as

o fast. Five thousand dollars. That wasn't just money.

ee table like it might brea

everywhere. I wanted to write something down. Anythi

thing sl

hadn't seen before. Tuck

l note, neatly folded, like it

ened

e seeds. Don't

essed against the pa

n

ic

seen anyone put it there, but somehow

hing had started. And t