She didn’t say the words aloud, but Sophia must have read them in her face, in the way her shoulders curved inward as if protecting herself from an invisible blow. In the way her eyes kept searching the crowd, even as her mind told her it was pointless.

“Maybe he’s playing keep away,” Sophia suggested, her head darting playfully through the crowd with an exaggerated hopeful smirk, hair bouncing with each movement. “Marco… Polo…” Her voice carried that hint of theatrical drama that usually made Juniper laugh.

“In the moment, I’m struggling to find this funny,” Juniper replied, a half-smile tugging at her dimpled cheek despite herself. The familiar gesture felt foreign on her face, like trying on someone else’s clothes.

Sophia looped her arm through Juniper’s, pulling her close with the kind of fierce protectiveness that only true friends can muster. “Hey, come on. Why don’t you go introduce me to Tommy?” Her eyes widened with mischievous intent. “I hear he’s quite the charmer - unlike some people we know. Plus, he actually sticks around after declaring his undying love.”