ator doors slid shut behind them. She read it in sile

hands in his pockets, waitin

alk," Serena finally

in particular?"

say. But he's been... quieter l

d. "If you want to go see

ine. I'll ca

morning air had already warmed, but there was a

t," Serena said as sh

bastian replied.

for a moment, there was

til her taillights disappeared. Then, with a quiet exhale,

turdays. Less sharpness in

udding a little faster than he cared to admit. He knocked once. The door c

d, stepping asid

ll window spilled light across the floorboards. There were canvases everywhere: some st

f his jacket, suddenly aware of how ou

tton-down shirt. "Wear thi

mirked. "I feel like I'm

wan replied, already walking to

n handed him a brush. "Start anywhere," he said.

of blue that reminded him of early mornin

iet, but

ver-not correcting, just watching

e. "I always thought I needed to know wh

ds on a cloth. "And

long enough for something unspoken

tend a meeting earlier with my dad and I'll be representing him at a conference

replied "c

ate – Music

e polished wooden floors. Somewhere behind them, the gramophone crackled f

isserai de

unreadable. Serena stood near the piano, swaying

Sous les chants /

nd - graceful, confident, but softene

ith me?"

r request. But then he rose slowly, setting the glass down, and wa

and slid into his like a

r bodies close but not tangled. Her head rested lightly o

chants / Rien

his song," she whispered. "I don't even know what he's s

. His heartbeat steady, measured - almost too calm for s

les trouves / Tu sau

ickering candlelight, into the shadow

the hollowness be

d her clos

ut because, for a moment, he

erena's spine in a slow, instinctive motion. She ti

ots d'a

ween them like a secre

rs curled lightly into the fabric

audible over the music. "Do you ever thi

her - really

. Gentle.

son who kept hi

didn't

in, brushing his fo

mots..." as the musi

ered, "that right n

in that fleeting mom

his jaw, and she rose

met - soft,

a kiss o

wo people convincing themselves that p

essed

n't pu

s, Sebastian saw a fa

l lingering

wa

dings – Exe

ors opened with

g at something Sebastian had just

ss offices and minimalist lighting. "Your father renovated the entire branding wing. New hire

t his mind was elsewhere - attention

in surprise as she saw a familiar f