Always Be Kind

Previously

…Alex felt a lightness return, not the fleeting lightness of distraction, but the deep, satisfying lightness of renewed connection. Sam picked up their book again, but this time, their posture was relaxed, their focus entirely on the pages before them. Alex, meanwhile, didn’t pull out their own textbook. Instead, they simply sat, enjoying the quiet company, the rustling leaves, and the profound sense of belonging that had finally settled, not just for Sam, but for themselves too. The origami crane, clutched in Alex’s pocket, felt like a tangible reminder of how far they had come, and the quiet strength that lay in a promise kept, not out of obligation, but out of genuine care.