It wasn't the dinner plan that surprised Sierra.
It was the humming.
Amara rarely hummed. Ever. She walked with her shoulders squared, steps measured, eyes forward like someone permanently braced against bad weather. Yet here she was now, drifting down the sidewalk with a faint tune slipping past her lips, something old and familiar, the sort of melody you didn't even realize you remembered until it showed up uninvited.
Sierra noticed it three steps out of the building.
Five steps later, she was staring.
Ten steps later, she finally blurted, "Wow. Your happiness has stamina."
Amara blinked, as if yanked out of her own head. "Huh?"
"That," Sierra said, waving vaguely at Amara's face, her posture, the whole… glow situation. "It's still there. The smile. The vibe. Whatever potion you drank, I want two."
Amara laughed and lifted a hand to cover her mouth. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Yes," Sierra said flatly. "Painfully. You're like… emotionally moisturized."
