The afternoon sun spilled softly through the large windows of the local cafe, brushing over white tablecloths and porcelain cups with a warm, golden light. Inside, everything was quiet, the hum of conversation drifted lazily through the air. Hallis, dressed in her usual soft, flowing dress, sat at a table with two of her friends. The women were chatting about nothing in particular: work, the weather, a new hand cream. It was meant to be a peaceful outing. No tension. No drama.

On their way to the cafe, they had bumped into two men — local guys the girls vaguely knew. The funny sort, harmless on the surface. Out of politeness, they were invited to join the table. Hallis didn't object. But from the beginning, something inside her felt... slightly off. At first, the conversation stayed neutral. But soon, as it often does, the jokes came. The teasing and glances that lingered just a bit too long.

"So you've got a wife, huh? Shame." one of the men smirked, sipping his coffee. "With looks like yours, you could have crowds lining up."

"Not every girl knows what's best for her," the other added, half-joking, half-serious.

Hallis smiled that soft, polite curve of her lips she had perfected over the years. The kind that masked the subtle tightening in her chest. She said nothing, letting the silence show she didn't appreciate their advances, but the men were oblivious to the hint. Her cup clinked gently against the saucer as she set it down. The porcelain felt cool beneath her fingers, a contrast to the faint warmth of her palms. Her hands rested together in her lap, fingers lightly clasped. From afar, she looked poised, composed, graceful as always. But a closer glance revealed the tension. A quiet unease, coiling low in her belly.

Outside, the street hummed with distant movement. A military vehicle rolled past the slow suburban rhythm. In the front seat sat a woman with heavy eyes from sleepless nights, posture slack from exhaustion, yet her gaze was sharp. Focused. Her eyes caught a familiar figure through the cafe windows. Hallis. There was no mistaking that posture, that smile. She commanded the driver to stop. The vehicle hadn't even fully stopped before she was out, boots hitting the pavement, eyes fixed on Hallis. She moved toward the entrance slowly. Inside, Hallis continued speaking, her voice soft and controlled. But something shifted as her friends' attention moved to the door. The men grew silent when she stepped in, their confusion palpable.

Hallis felt the change before she turned around, her gaze meeting hers, and in that moment, everything else faded. Men's shocked faces and immediate regret in her friends' expressions now unimportant.

"Darling... You are back." she whispered, her eyes quickly filling with a shine of unshed tears.