Fading Blue

Do you love the rain?" he asked after a pause.

Luna hesitated, looking out at the falling droplets. "Not really. It makes me blue," she admitted, her tone a little lighter than her words might've suggested.

Ashen blinked, surprised by the answer. "But... you seem like you're kind of enjoying it."

Luna's lips curled into a tiny smile. "Yeah, I'm enjoying feeling blue."

.
.
.

Before Ashen could reply, Ethan's gaze drifted outside. Across the street, a young girl held her little brother's hand, a pair of bright balloons bobbing above their heads as they splashed through puddles.

Ethan's smile faded, his eyes distant, clouded with something unspoken.

Ashen noticed the shift-the way Ethan's hand froze mid-spin on his cup, the slight tension in his jaw. But instead of prying, he leaned back and said lightly, "You want one of those balloons too, huh?"

Ethan blinked, then snorted softly. "Yeah. The red one."
.
.
.

Three college students, each carrying their own burdens of loss and unspoken grief.
They don't know it yet, but their lives are about to collide. As they struggle to fight their demons, they'll find comfort in each other's pain. But will they find healing-or will the shadows of their pasts pull them apart?

This is a story about finding strength in brokenness, healing through connection, and the journey of learning how to live again.