I Wish...

Echoes of The Unseen

The next morning, I woke up with a gnawing unease. Caden's words—and Ethel's swift dismissal of him—rattled around in my head. He had warned me about the consequences of my wishes, and as much as I wanted to trust Ethel's instinct, part of me couldn't forget the seriousness in his voice. It felt like I was balancing on the edge of something bigger than I could comprehend.

I needed to keep moving forward.

After breakfast, I decided to head back to the community center. I had no idea what Ethel meant about confronting the consequences of my wishes, but maybe staying busy could at least distract me from the growing storm in my mind. The moment I walked into the center, the familiar sounds of laughter, chatter, and the clinking of boxes settled my nerves—if only for a little while.

I was halfway through sorting a new batch of donations when I heard a voice behind me.

"Samara?"

I turned, surprised to see Jenna standing there, holding two coffee cups. She gave me a smile—a tentative one—but a smile nonetheless. "I thought you might need this," she said, holding out one of the cups.

My heart warmed as I took it. "Thanks. I definitely needed it."

Jenna gestured toward a nearby table, and we sat down, both of us sipping our drinks in comfortable silence. It felt good, this easy quiet between us, after everything that had happened.

"So..." Jenna began, her voice light but curious, "how've you been holding up?"

I shrugged, trying to downplay the chaos in my mind. "You know, one day at a time."

She gave me a sideways glance, her eyes filled with concern. "You seem... different lately. In a good way. Like you're more grounded."

I looked down at my cup, swirling the coffee around. "I've just been trying to focus on what's real. What I can control."

Jenna nodded slowly. "I get that. After everything with us, I've been doing a lot of thinking too."

A part of me tensed, but I forced myself to relax. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She hesitated, then sighed. "I know we've had our issues. And I haven't exactly been the best friend, but I want to make things right."

I met her gaze, surprised by the vulnerability in her eyes. For the first time in a long while, it felt like we were both on the same page, ready to rebuild the friendship we had almost lost.

"I want that too," I said softly.

For the next hour, we talked. Really talked. No masks, no pretending. It felt like a small step forward, a fragile but hopeful start to something better. As we finished our coffee, Jenna stood up, a grin spreading across her face. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow for dinner, right?"

"Definitely," I replied, smiling back.

As she left, a sense of calm settled over me—until the door opened again, and a familiar figure walked in.

Caden.

I froze, watching as he strode into the room like he belonged there. He spotted me immediately, his expression unreadable, and walked over with the same effortless grace I had seen the day before.

"Thought I might find you here," he said, his tone casual, but there was a tension underneath it.

I crossed my arms, my guard up. "What do you want?"

He glanced around the bustling center before looking back at me. "This isn't the place for what I have to say."

I rolled my eyes. "Then why are you here?"