Weeks passed, again.
Life never got easier. It just started moving again.
The café still opened at seven. People still wanted extra foam on their coffee. Bills kept stacking up. Classes happened whether anyone felt like showing up or not. The city just kept breathing, with or without you.
Leo was starting to get it: grief isn't something you finish. You just carry it around. Some days it weighed less. Other days, it felt like a stone pressing right against his heart.
Today? Somewhere in between.
After the morning rush faded, Aiden leaned over the counter and pushed a cup toward him. "You've been staring at that muffin for ten minutes."
Leo blinked down. The blueberry muffin sat untouched by the register.
"I'm thinking."
"You always say that when you're forgetting to eat."
Leo let out a sigh. Aiden had him pegged. Alex always said the same thing. Lila did too, actually. It was like everyone secretly teamed up to make sure he remembered food exists.
"I'll eat it."
