The apartment greeted him with its familiar silence—the kind that used to feel comforting but now just felt empty.
Luca closed the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment, eyes closed, letting the weight of the evening settle over him.
The conversation with his father replayed in his mind—the condition, the compromise, the promise he'd made.
*Tomorrow.*
He pushed off the door and moved through the living room, flipping on lights as he went.
The cat appeared from the bedroom, stretching lazily, tail high, completely unbothered by Luca's internal turmoil.
"Hey, buddy," Luca murmured, crouching down to scratch behind its ears. The cat purred, leaning into his touch. "Big day tomorrow."
The cat blinked slowly, as if to say *whatever you say, human.*
Luca stood, exhaling slowly, and headed to the bedroom.
His suitcase sat in the closet—dusty, unused for months.
He pulled it out, setting it on the bed with a soft thud, the zippers stiff as he opened it.
