Olivia reached the park fifteen minutes early.
It was quieter than usual, wrapped in the kind of calm that only early mornings in the city could hold. A few old men jogged past in matching tracksuits, their conversation lost in the rhythm of their steps. A woman with silver hair fed crumbs to a group of pigeons. The world looked… ordinary.
For once, Olivia wanted to believe it.
She sat on a wooden bench beneath the shade of a jacaranda tree, trying to slow her heartbeat. The gentle breeze carried the faint scent of rain-drenched earth and the chirping of birds—a scene that almost, almost managed to wash away the chaos in her mind.
Almost.
Every sound made her twitch. Every movement in her periphery felt like a threat.
She checked her watch. 7:47 a.m.
By the time she looked up, Mia was already walking toward her—head bowed, backpack clutched tightly, her steps hesitant. Olivia stood immediately, relief and curiosity tangling inside her.
