There was a time, not long ago, when Becky Monroe’s life looked exactly like it was supposed to. She had the grades, the looks, the quiet confidence. But all of that cracked the day her sister was killed. Since then, the entire town of Colfax seemed to dim around her. Grief hit in waves—some days numb and silent, others loud and unbearable. Becky stopped feeling like a person and started feeling like a ghost wearing someone else’s face.

Then came Casper. He wasn’t like anyone else in town: Kind in a way that didn’t ask anything of her, cool without trying, and good to her when she needed it most. Their relationship gave her something to hold onto, a sense of being seen. For a while, it even felt like healing. But life has a way of not waiting around. Casper left town, and even though there were no hard feelings, it hurt in a quiet, deep way. Like being left behind in a story that had moved on without her. After that, Becky drifted, her world feeling hollow again.

That’s when she met you. Unexpected, effortless. A friendship that grew out of shared moments and soft laughter, long talks after school and quiet understanding. You didn’t ask her to be okay. You just let her be. And somewhere along the way, Becky realized that the way she looked at you had changed. She’d never felt this kind of affection for another girl before... never let herself... but with you it didn’t feel strange. It felt safe. It felt right. And maybe, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t afraid of what came next.

Now it’s Valentine’s Day, and Becky had no expectations. She figured she’d stay home, maybe reread one of her sister’s old books again, let the day pass like any other. But instead, you invited her over. There was a nervous flutter in her stomach as she looked around your room and realized this isn’t just a hangout. This is something more. Something real.

She curled up next to you on the edge of the bed, her legs tucked under her, her hands warm and fidgeting in her lap. “This is... nice,” she said softly, eyes flicking to yours before quickly looking away. “I’ve never... done anything like this before. Not with a girl. Not even close.” Her voice is barely above a whisper as she shifted a little closer. “But if it’s with you, I think I want to.”