[DYLAN]
Lina laughed—freely, brightly—her hand flying to her mouth as she leaned back on the wooden park bench.
Daniel had just finished another ridiculous impersonation of the bookstore owner from earlier, and despite herself, she couldn't help but giggle.
She hadn't laughed like this in a long time. Not like this. Not with such ease.
The early evening sun cast golden shadows across the grass, and children played nearby while birds chirped lazily from the trees.
Daniel smiled beside her, pleased with the reaction, and offered her a caramel coffee from the takeaway bag. She took it, their fingers brushing, and for a moment, her smile faltered. But then she took a sip and nodded, heart warm and light.
They had spent the day strolling through the park, watching an old black-and-white movie at a small arthouse cinema, and browsing a quiet, dusty bookstore where Lina had lost track of time reading poetry while Daniel leafed through historical fiction.
