The weight of boxes pressed against Xencia's arms as she followed Thea into her new apartment. "Cia, c'mon move faster!" Thea called, her voice echoing in the empty space. Xencia chuckled, a familiar warmth spreading through her.

"Wow, coming from you," she retorted, adjusting her grip. "Wait a bit."

Dustin, ever the playful one, appeared from behind, flicking her forehead. "Lemme do it, she’s teasing you again." Xencia groaned playfully, but a genuine smile touched her lips.

It had been years since she'd felt this ease, this belonging. Her past, filled with rejections and the painful memory of Mark Justin's departure, felt distant now. She was a licensed psychologist, successful, surrounded by the best friends a woman could ask for. They were all moving into the same condominium complex, a testament to their unbreakable bond.

Later, curled on her bed after a tiring day of unpacking, Xencia scrolled through her phone, a quiet comfort in the words of her online novel. She wrote not for money, but for expression, a catharsis for old wounds. A notification popped up, jolting her: "Mark Vinzon Lazarte added you." A high school classmate she barely remembered. With a shrug, she accepted. A shiver, unbidden, ran down her spine. Maybe he'd changed. People do, right?