“Stepping Stone” comes on.
The lyrics hit different this time.
I don’t want to be your stepping stone
I don’t wanna watch the fall of Rome
I tighten my grip on the wheel.
By the time I pull up to the house, the sun’s starting to dip again.
Everything looks the same, but feels different. Like I’m taking one last snapshot of the house.
Inside, ambient music is playing, soft and soothing.
I follow it down the hallway until I find Cassie in the living room.
She’s on a yoga mat, mid-pose.
She glances up when she hears me and smiles, a little breathless.
“Hey,” she says. “Just working on my…poses.”
“Class wasn’t enough?”
Her tone’s light and playful.
“It ended up being one of those yoga crossover classes that was more lifting light weights. And I’m trying to get more flexible.”
I lean against the doorway and watch her for a second.
She looks so good.
But there’s something new about her vibe. She seems happy.
Comfortable in her own skin. She’s radiant.
Not like yesterday. When she was practically crying in the truck on the side of the road, wondering why she wasn’t good enough for some guy who will definitely regret not ending up with her.
“Yeah?” I say. “Looks like it’s working.”
She laughs softly, shifting out of the pose, reaching for her water.
She’s a little flushed. Her hair is pulled back with a thin sheen of sweat on her skin.
I step in closer.
“Hey,” I say.
She looks up at me.
“Yeah?”
I grab some water from the fridge, pour myself a glass, and take a sip to buy myself a second.
“Hey…wait. Why are you home?” she asks, the realization hitting her. “Aren’t you guys playing right now?”
“I have some news.”
