𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞...

Pilar Samia Hadley, a woman who preferred the quiet hum of her own thoughts to the incessant buzz of her phone, sat in her living room. The LSU game on YouTube was a comforting drone, a backdrop to her solitary existence. Her phone rang, jarring her from the peaceful quiet. She eyed the caller ID – Tineke, her childhood best friend. Pilar sighed deeply, a familiar wave of annoyance washing over her. She hated phone calls, hated the expectation of immediate engagement, the forced air of conversation. Why couldn't everything just be a text?

On the last ring, she relented, picking up. "Hate callin' you, make a motherfucker wait all eternity to answer," Tineke's voice, predictably exasperated, crackled through the speaker. Pilar yawned, leaning back on her couch, stretching out, and folding her arms. "So stop calling me...?" she questioned, her tone nonchalant, already anticipating Tineke's sigh of resignation. Tineke knew better than to argue; Pilar always had the last word, always stood firm on what she said. The conversation, however, soon took an unexpected turn, leading Pilar down a path she hadn't anticipated, away from her quiet solitude and into the bustling world of unexpected encounters.