HAPPY FRIENDSHIP ANNIVERSARY

The morning air was quiet, holding that fragile stillness that came after words that shouldn't have been left unsaid.

Amelia moved through the house like a whisper, polite, kind, untouchable. Her smile, though practiced, still warmed the room.

But her eyes told a different story.

They didn't linger, didn't soften the way they used to when Eli entered. And he noticed.

Every time.

The group gathered for a late breakfast.

Kai was flipping pancakes. Lena and Nora were at the table, teasing each other over syrup flavors.

Eli walked in just as Amelia was reaching for a coffee mug.

She saw him and shifted slightly, just enough to keep space between them.

He paused, masking the ache behind a small nod as he greeted the others.

But his eyes kept sliding to her.

She poured her coffee, steadied her breath, and turned to take a seat, only for her elbow to graze the edge of the counter.

The cup wobbled in her hand.

Without thinking, Eli stepped forward.

His hand caught hers, steady, instinctive, gentle.

The room didn't notice. They were mid-laughter, loud and carefree.

But for a second, the world shrank to just them.

Her breath hitched.

She didn't look at him, but she didn't pull away either.

His fingers rested lightly against hers, just enough to guide the cup safely down to the table.

Then, as if waking from a spell, she slipped her hand away.

"Thanks," she murmured.

He only nodded. No teasing grin. No flirty comeback. Just quiet understanding.

But she could feel it, the softness of his touch lingering like a memory her heart wasn't ready to remember.

Later that day, she found herself replaying it.

That one small moment. That gentle act of care.

How his hands were still the same, warm, steady, familiar. How they used to fit so easily into the rhythm of her life before everything became complicated.

And Eli? He sat outside alone that afternoon, journal on his lap, pen frozen mid-sentence.

He hadn't meant to touch her.

Not in the way it happened.

"But he missed her, missed the easy comfort, the friendship that used to feel effortless.

He wrote nothing that day. Only stared at the page, heart full of words that refused to come out the right way.

Tangled Threads

It was late afternoon, and the golden light of the sun filtered through the curtains, casting soft, restless shadows across the living room floor.

Everyone else had gone for a walk, but Lena had stayed behind on purpose.

Amelia hadn't noticed at first.

She'd been curled up on the couch with a book, legs tucked underneath her, a mug of lukewarm tea balanced on the edge of the table.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Eli: "All good?"

She read it. Didn't reply. Just locked her phone and sighed.

Lena's voice came quietly from the hallway.

"You're not going to answer him?"

Amelia startled, then straightened. "Didn't know you were still here."

"I noticed."

Lena stepped in slowly, arms folded.

Her tone wasn't sharp, just firm, laced with worry. "You've been avoiding him."

Amelia looked away. "I haven't."

"Don't do that," Lena cut in gently.

"Don't pretend it's nothing. He looks at you like he's trying to figure out what he did wrong."

"That's not fair," Amelia whispered.

"Isn't it?" Lena sat across from her. "You two used to be inseparable.

You laughed at the same dumb things, you talked in codes no one else got.

Now you barely look at him. What happened?"

Amelia pressed her lips together, her fingers gripping the edge of the book like an anchor.

"I just… I don't want to be the reason this group falls apart."

Lena blinked. "What?"

"I see the way you all look at me now. Like I'm some complication.

Like I'm the reason Nora's hesitating. I hear things, Lena. Even when I'm not meant to."

Silence.

Lena's jaw tightened. "That wasn't about Amelia, no one's trying to push you out.

"But it's confusing.

Eli's caught in this quiet storm and won't talk. Nora's retreating.

And you're, you're just... gone."

"I'm not gone," Amelia said, a crack in her voice. "I'm still here.

I just needed space. I don't want my presence to feel like pressure."

"Then talk to us," Lena urged, leaning in. "Talk to him."

"I can't," Amelia whispered.

"Because if I say anything, if I even breathe in the wrong direction, everyone will think I'm trying to take something that's not mine."

Lena frowned. "Eli isn't a possession."

Amelia's shoulders sagged. "I know. But hearts? They get territorial."

The room fell quiet.

Lena softened. "Look, I didn't mean to come off as cold.

"I just miss the version of you that used to fight for what mattered."

Amelia's eyes welled but didn't fall. "Maybe I'm still trying to figure out what that is."

Lena stood slowly, her voice quieter now. "Just don't shut him out without letting him understand.

That's not you."

And then she left, leaving Amelia alone with her half-drunk tea, an unread book, and a heart too loud to ignore anymore.

 Confessions and Clarity

The air was quiet in the small garden behind their rented vacation home, only the rustling leaves and distant hum of the ocean waves breaking the silence.

Nora stood near the blooming hibiscus bush, her arms wrapped loosely around herself, lost in thought.

Lena approached, her steps hesitant.

"Nora," she called gently, "you've been distant today."

Nora turned slowly. "Just thinking."

Lena sat beside her on the bench, brushing her curls away from her eyes.

"You've been watching him, haven't you? Eli."

Nora looked down, smiling faintly. "You noticed?"

"Hard not to," Lena admitted.

"You're quieter when he's around. And you keep looking like you're trying to solve a puzzle no one else sees."

Nora sighed. "Maybe he likes me. Maybe. But… not like how he looks at Amelia."

Lena's brows furrowed. "But he said, he's been opening up to you. There's something"

"Lena," Nora cut in, her voice calm but firm.

"I think you misunderstood his emotions. We all did.

Sometimes, when someone's heart is unsure, they reach for what's safe.

I think I've just been that safe place. A distraction."

Lena's eyes searched hers. "Then what do we do?"

"We let him speak," Nora said softly. "We stop filling in the blanks for him. He's not a project. He's a person.

And he needs to figure it out himself."

"But what if he picks?"

"Then he picks," Nora said, gently but without hesitation.

"And if it's Amelia, then we support that.

Because friendship isn't about fighting over someone's heart, it's about making sure no one gets lost trying to protect it."

Lena's lips parted, unsure whether to protest or agree.

Nora went on, her voice lowering, more personal.

"Let me tell you something I haven't told anyone." She hesitated. "I have a boyfriend."

Lena blinked. "You what?"

Nora chuckled at her stunned expression. "He's back home.

It's new, quiet, and not dramatic like this.

I didn't want to say anything because… part of me did crush on Eli. Back in school.

I won't lie about that."

"You what?" Lena echoed, still stunned.

"I used to think maybe, just maybe…" Nora's voice trailed off with a soft smile.

"But now? Standing here with all this happening, I don't feel that way anymore. Not like that."

"Then why, why the smiles? The looks?"

"Because I was holding on to a memory, not a feeling," Nora whispered.

"But now, watching him around Amelia… Lena, the way he shifts when she enters a room?

It's like gravity changes for him."

Lena's voice dropped. "I thought I was imagining that."

"You weren't."

"They both sat in silence for a while, the sky beginning to deepen into the gold of early evening.

"So," Lena asked, leaning back, "what do we do?"

Nora gave her a small smirk.

"We play along. Nudge him a little. Give him room.

Maybe he's been too afraid to admit how he feels because we've all been speaking for him."

Lena nodded, slowly understanding. "We don't have much time. This trip ends soon."

"I know," Nora said, standing. "So let's use this time well.

Not to twist anything, not to force anything. Just… to let the truth rise on its own."

She glanced toward the house, where Eli had just stepped out onto the porch, scanning the garden,

eyes briefly lighting up when he spotted Amelia through the kitchen window, even though she wasn't looking his way.

Nora nudged Lena with a knowing look. "See?"

Lena sighed. "I see it now."

And with that, the two girls walked back together, side by side, not to stir more confusion, but to let the story unfold the way it was meant to.