Jack pulled on his training suit. After being force-fed what felt like an entire buffalo by his overly enthusiastic father yesterday, his energy was back, and he finally felt like himself again. His muscles felt a little stiff, though. It was time to stretch them out.

  He headed downstairs, trying not to make the steps creak in order not to disturb anyone’s sleep, but he found out that he wasn’t the first to wake up.

  “Good morning, Marie,” he said. “You’re up early.”

  “Morning, Jack,” she replied from the kitchen island, sipping from a mug.

  “Did you sleep okay?”

  “Oh yeah. Your neighborhood’s crazy quiet. And that guest room mattress? Super comfy.”

  “Nice,” he said, grabbing a mug and pouring himself some coffee. As he sipped, he kept sneaking glances at Marie’s pajamas. It was sky-blue with tiny yellow pterodactyls stamped across the fabric.

  Marie arched an eyebrow. “Spill it, Jack.”

  “Did you have those custom-made because of your pet?”

  “Of course. Want the link to their website? You could get one with little Snowys.”

  Although his first reaction was to decline right away, as he thought of clothes stamped with his adorable ground sloth, he paused. “Maybe a T-shirt or a hat. Definitely not pajamas. But… yeah, send it to me.”

  “You going for a run?” she asked, setting her mug down.

  “Yeah.”

  “Mind if I join?”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. Marie was tiny. She could barely reach his chest, and he doubted she’d be able to match his pace. But then again, he’d spent a week lying motionless in a pod. He probably wasn’t in top shape either. She would probably be able to keep up.

  “Sure. Why not,” he said.

  “Cool. Can you wait for me?”

  “I’ll wait,” he said.

  He chuckled to himself as she trotted upstairs.

  Is this what having a sister feels like?

  When they’d first met, Marie barely tolerated breathing the same air as him. Now she was joking around in dinosaur pajamas and inviting herself on his morning jog.

  A few minutes later, Marie returned, adjusting a fitness band on her head. She was in full running gear.

  He realized that even if he hadn’t gone out, she would have gone jogging anyway.

  The two of them stepped outside and began stretching on the sidewalk. The morning air was sharp and cold, with a faint tang of salt. This early in the morning, the air in Boston felt clean, and it was almost possible to smell the ocean from his neighborhood. Almost.

  “So, did you have fun yesterday?” Jack asked, reaching for his toes.

  “Oh yeah. Your parents are lovely. I can see why Rob loves them so much.”

  “They sure are.”

  “And the food was delicious. Oh my goodness, your mom can cook.”

  Jack chuckled. He rolled his shoulders, then double-checked his laces. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “Me too. Shall we go then?”

  He was just about to tell Marie to pace herself and let him know if he went too fast—when she suddenly launched forward, sprinting down the street like a cheetah.

  “Hey!” Jack shouted, taking off after her.

  “Come on!” she called back, as she jogged backward for a few strides. “Didn’t you say you jogged?”

  “I haven’t moved in a week,” he said, struggling to keep pace.

  “Oh. Right,” she said, laughing.

  Her stride was smooth and unbothered. Jack’s, not so much.

  After only a few minutes of running at Marie’s pace, he was already out of breath, and he could feel a stitch forming in his side. However, he didn’t ask Marie to slow down, nor did he complain. He had his pride.

  That’s when Marie got chatty. “So… you and Holly,” she said casually.

  Jack shot her a glare. Seriously? Now?

  Marie didn’t seem to notice. Or care.

  “Are you visiting her this afternoon?”

  “I. Haven’t. Decided,” Jack gasped.

  “You seem a little uncertain about how you feel about her,” she said, her tone gently cautioning. “Girls can feel that, you know?”

  Jack said nothing. His lungs were on fire.

  “Anyway,” she continued, “just wanted to say—if you want us to come with you, to help you work up the courage or whatever, Rob and I are game. We talked about it last night.”

  Jack huffed out a breath. “Thanks. Can’t. Talk. Now.”

  “Got it,” she said with a grin. “I’ll shut up.”

  They ran a few more strides in blessed silence before Marie piped up again. “This really is a pretty city. I’ve never actually visited Boston. Well, I came here once, but I was too little to remember. Oh! And there was that other time my family passed through, but that doesn’t count either. We only had lunch and got back on the road.”

  She jogged on, happily narrating, while Jack’s only goal became not dying.

  Eventually, Jack couldn’t keep going anymore. He stumbled to a stop, hands on his knees, dragging in ragged gulps of cold morning air.

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  “Are you alright?” Marie asked.

  “I’m. Fine.”

  “Mind if I go ahead and run a little more?”

  Jack waved her on.

  And she was gone, sprinting down the street like a torpedo.

  Jack shook his head in disbelief. How does a girl with such tiny legs run that fast? He had seriously underestimated her.

  Now that she was out of sight, he let himself collapse onto the sidewalk, belly-up, arms spread wide as he tried to catch his breath. The pavement was cold beneath him, seeping through his shirt. Above, a pale winter sky stretched out, streaked with thin clouds. Somewhere, a dog barked.

  His pulse thudded in his ears, loud and steady.

  Marie’s comment lingered.

  Was he unsure about what to do with Holly? Absolutely.

  Did he like her? Yes. A lot.

  He’d told himself he was too busy saving his father to even think about a relationship. And yet, even during the exhausting week, he’d still found time for her.

  Not only that, but her visits were one of the things that kept him going through all those hours of non-stop crafting.

  Now that his father was safe… was anything really holding him back?

  The words of his mother echoed in his mind. When you’re ready, you’ll know.

  Maybe, he thought. Maybe I can handle it. Handle responsibility and a relationship. Maybe dating wouldn’t be too much.

  After what he’d been able to accomplish this week, he felt like he could not only carry his own weight, but help carry someone else’s. Holly’s face came to mind as they chatted in his workshop in Ashengate or strolled on the street, and somehow, the air felt easier to breathe.

  “Two months,” he muttered.

  Two months since his breakup. Two months wasn’t a long time. But if he counted all the hours he’d spent in the game—especially when he would have been sleeping otherwise, and the time inside the Time Field—to him, it was more like four months since he and Lydia had broken up.

  There was still so much he didn’t know—about Holly, about himself. But one thing was clear: he wanted to see her. Today.

  Besides, he thought, when I pictured her just now… it was her avatar’s face I saw.

  That didn’t feel right.

  Jack pulled out his phone.

  “Hi, Holly. How are you? I'm taking a weekend off from the game. Marie’s in Boston visiting Rob. The three of us are going to grab a coffee downtown. Wanna join?”

  He took a deep breath—and hit send.

  Then he stared at the screen, heart pounding from more than just the run.

  Marie rounded the corner, her ponytail swinging and breath steady like she hadn’t just been running for half an hour.

  Just as she was about to reach him, his phone buzzed.

  Holly had replied.

  “Hi Jack, good morning. I’m good. And you? Sure! What time?”

  She replied, just like that. No hesitation, no awkward delay. And she said yes! Jack let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

  Marie jogged up beside him. “Ready to go back home?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Let me show you something, first,” Jack said, holding out his phone.

  She glanced at the screen, eyes lighting up, and gave his shoulder a playful punch. “Well done.”

  “Oh, give it a rest,” Jack said, brushing her off.

  “It’s a good sign that she said yes,” Marie said. “You know what? I think she likes you.”

  Jack’s cheeks reddened. “Really? I’m not so sure…”

  “Jack,” Marie said, more serious now, “a girl doesn’t log into a game every day and spend hours with a guy she doesn’t like. A girl doesn’t say yes to meeting a guy for coffee if she doesn’t like him.”

  Jack looked down at his hands. They were trembling slightly. He wasn’t sure why. He’d seen Holly nearly every day for the past week. But this felt different.

  Maybe it was the way Marie had said it that made it feel real. That he liked Holly, and that Holly liked him.

  “What café are we going to?” Marie asked. “Oh! Can we go to that one that makes those custard tarts Rob loves?”

  “Yeah,” Jack nodded. “That’s our favorite spot.”

  “Perfect. Why don’t you tell her we’ll meet at two? That way I’ll have time to catch my train to Providence afterward.”

  “Okay.” Jack pulled out his phone and typed.

  “Two okay?”

  Holly replied almost immediately.

  “Yeah, just text me the address.”

  Jack did.

  Marie flashed a grin. “Come on. Race you to the house!”

  Jack groaned as he tried to keep up, but this time, he was smiling as he ran.

  *

  Jack, Rob, and Marie hopped off the bus.

  It felt like forever since Jack had been in a real, modern city. Despite the cold and the grey skies, it wasn’t raining, and the sidewalks buzzed with life.

  People bundled in coats strolled past with coffee cups in hand, kids tugged at mittened hands, and café doors swung open with bursts of warmth and chatter.

  “So, where are these custard tarts you guys rave about?” Marie asked, bouncing on her heels. Jack could swear that small custard tarts had replaced her pupils. She hadn’t stopped talking about them after knowing they were coming today.

  “This way,” Rob said, pointing.

  “Let’s go, Robby! I’m so excited.” She hooked her arm through his, and they walked ahead, chatting and laughing.

  Jack followed a few steps behind, smiling to himself. Marie seemed so relaxed around Rob, and he kept smiling and laughing at everything she said. They looked genuinely happy together.

  He tugged his scarf tighter and kept pace behind them, threading through the passersby, thoughts churning.

  Am I really meeting Holly for coffee… with another couple? Isn’t that, like, super obvious? How did I even get into this situation? Was it because Marie pushed me? Or because I see my cousin so happy, and that triggered something in me?

  His heartbeat thudded a little too fast.

  What is even happening? Are we just having coffee? Is this a date? No. It’s just coffee. Right?

  He didn’t know. All he knew was that he needed to look at her and picture her, not just her avatar.

  “Over there,” Rob said, pointing at a bright yellow awning. “That’s the place.” Glancing back over his shoulder, he turned to Jack. “She’s meeting us inside, right?”

  “Yeah,” Jack replied in a loud voice to pierce through the chatter. “She’ll meet us there.”

  As they neared the café’s front window, Jack immediately spotted Holly. She was sitting at a small table by the glass, a mug in hand. When she saw him, she waved and smiled, and he waved back.

  “Look, guys! She’s there!” he said, excited.

  But just as Jack stepped forward, he nearly collided with someone.

  “Whoa—sorry,” he said, stumbling back a step.

  The woman he’d almost bumped into had long dark hair and sharp blue eyes. She wore a waitress’s uniform.

  “Lydia?” Jack asked, blinking.

  She stared at him for a moment, as it took her a second longer to recognize him. “Jack?”

  Rob stopped beside him, and Marie’s eyes widened slightly. From the look on her face, she clearly had a good idea who Lydia was.

  “Hello,” Marie said politely, stepping forward. “I’m Marie—Rob’s girlfriend.”

  She extended a hand. Lydia took it. “N-nice to meet you.”

  “Hi, Lydia,” Rob added. “Good to see you.”

  “Rob… wow. Long time no see.” Lydia gave Marie another glance. “I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”

  Rob shrugged. “It’s recent.”

  “Congratulations,” Lydia said. Her focus drifted back to Jack, studying him. “You look…” she started, then faltered. “You look well.” There was a hint of disbelief in her eyes, as if she were trying to reconcile this version of him with the one she remembered.

  “Thanks. I am.”

  Jack was surprised at how casual he sounded. The truth was that despite the awkward encounter happening outside, all he could think about was that Holly was watching them through the window.

  He turned toward her and made a gesture that they’d be in in a second.

  She nodded.

  Lydia caught the exchange, and a brief silence followed.

  “How have you been?” she finally asked.

  “Good,” Jack said. “Busy, but good. And you?”

  “I’m alright,” she said quietly. “How are your parents?”

  “We found out my dad has cancer,” Jack replied. “But he’s starting treatment tomorrow, so… he’s going to be okay.”

  Lydia’s expression softened, and she reached out, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. Jack stiffened under the contact, his body reacting before he could think.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “Please tell them I said hi.”

  “I will.”

  Lydia hesitated again, like she had something else she wanted to say. But after a second, she just gave a small nod instead. “Well, I should get to work. Enjoy your Sunday.”

  “You too.”

  “Bye, Rob. Nice to meet you, Marie.”

  And with that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

  “Hey,” Rob said gently, “you okay?”

  “Am I OK?” Jack echoed.

  He searched his feelings. There wasn’t shock or sadness, just emptiness. There was no anger, no ache, no regret. Just the quiet sense that something had come to a close.

  Jack glanced back toward the café. Holly was still there, her hands wrapped around her mug, looking anywhere but in their direction. She’d seen everything, and she’d made a point not to stare.

  “I’m good,” Jack finally said. “Shall we?”

  As he stepped toward the café door, he felt something settle inside him. Whatever he’d been holding onto with Lydia was gone now, left behind on the sidewalk.

  A page had been turned, and there was a blank page before him, one he wanted to fill. With Holly. With whatever came next.