The morning felt unnervingly… gentle.
No ticking. No shadows. Just the quiet before something not-yet-named.
Hale dressed a little better than usual. Not date-night fancy, but… something. And when he knocked on Ivy's door, he actually held his breath.
The door opened.
And there she stood.
Simple black jacket, ripped jeans, hair loose and barely brushed—like she wasn't trying, but still looked like someone who'd stepped out of a frame no one could remember drawing.
Hale blinked once.
Twice.
Then smiled. "You look like trouble in the best way."
Ivy raised an eyebrow. "You always flirt like a noir detective?"
He mock-shuddered. "Don't curse me like that."
2:45 PM – The Café
[Same as before — continues with the same conversation, ordering food, banter about smells, rain arriving around 4:38, and the day ending with Hale falling into peaceful sleep.]