chapter 1: home

Evelyn Carter wasn't the kind of girl who could make a decision in under five minutes.

Choosing what to wear? Impossible.

Picking a snack? A full debate.

She was clumsy enough to trip over perfectly flat ground, got irritated over the smallest inconveniences, and had a habit of muttering complaints under her breath whenever life became even slightly inconvenient.

Yet beneath all that, she had a quiet heart.

She wasn't talkative.

She preferred listening over speaking, often letting others carry conversations while she simply smiled or nodded. But with the right people, she'd make an effort to keep the conversation alive—even if it meant asking random questions just so the silence wouldn't last too long.

She had one more year of high school left before college.

For now, she was just another eighteen-year-old trying to survive exams, hostel food, and being away from home.

The bus slowly rolled into the station just after noon.

Evelyn stretched her arms as she stepped onto the familiar streets of her hometown, breathing in the warm July air.

Home.

Finally.

A month.

She had exactly one month before she had to return to her hostel in Indiana and face another semester of assignments, practicals, and endless exams.

Her father was already waiting near the parking area.

"There she is."

He took her suitcase before she even had the chance to protest.

"I can carry it."

"I know."

"...Then why did you take it?"

"Because I'm your father."

She sighed dramatically.

"I walked right into that one."

He laughed.

"I've missed hearing you complain."

"I don't complain."

"You've complained twice in the last minute."

"...I have no defense."

---

The drive home felt peaceful.

The familiar roads.

The little tea stalls she remembered from childhood.

Children cycling through the narrow lanes.

Nothing had changed.

And somehow...

That made her smile.

---

The moment she opened the front door—

"Evelyn!"

Her mother wrapped her in a tight hug before she could even remove her shoes.

"You've become thinner."

"Mom..."

"What?"

"Can I come inside first?"

Her mother laughed.

"Fine."

"But you're eating properly from today."

"I've heard this speech before."

"And you'll hear it again."

---

That evening, the three of them sat together for tea.

For the first time in months, there were no hostel curfews.

No study hours.

No rushing anywhere.

Just home.

Her father folded the newspaper and looked at her.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you something."

"What?"

Cooper bought a house here."

Evelyn looked up.

"Uncle Cooper?"

"Mhm."

"They've shifted back?"

"Not completely," her mother explained. "Michel will be studying in another state, but your uncle wanted a house here too."

Evelyn nodded.

"That's nice."

Her father smiled.

"They're having their griha pravesh this Saturday."

"We've all been invited."

"Oh."

She reached for another biscuit.

"Okay."

Neither excitement nor disappointment crossed her face.

To Evelyn...

Uncle Cooper and Aunt Nate were familiar faces.

She'd met them countless times whenever they happened to be in Indiana

Sometimes, if she'd forgotten books or clothes at home, Uncle Cooper would bring them to her hostel.

He always treated her like family.

Their son, however...

Was a complete mystery.

Somehow, despite years of knowing each other's families, they had never crossed paths.

Whenever Evelyn was in Indiana, he was away.

Whenever he visited, she wasn't around.

Life had an odd habit of making them miss each other by a day or two.

She didn't even know his name.

To her...

He was simply Uncle Cooper's son.

---

Miles away in Indiana...

Nineteen-year-old Michel Hopes was helping his parents unpack the last few boxes in their newly built house.

Unlike Evelyn, Michel rarely rushed anything.

Calm.

Patient.

Dependable.

If something went wrong, he fixed it without making a fuss.

If someone needed help, he was usually the first to step forward.

Sports had always been a big part of his life, but in a few weeks, he'd be leaving for college in another state, beginning a completely new chapter.

His father placed another box near the staircase.

"By the way..."

"Hm?"

"Your uncle's daughter has come home for her vacation."

Michel looked up briefly.

"Oh."

"You've never met her, have you?"

"No."

His father laughed.

"It's funny."

"What is?"

"You've known about each other your whole lives."

"And yet..."

"You've never been in the same place at the same time."

Michel smiled faintly.

"I guess that's true."

Neither of them thought much about it.

After all...

Some strangers remain strangers forever.

Neither Evelyn nor Michel knew that, in less than twenty-four hours, a simple trip to the mall would finally change that.

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