Chapter forty-five
Lindsay
Sunlight hits the kitchen counters at an angle that makes the quartz glow faintly, like it’s pleased with itself.
I’m barefoot, coffee warming my hands, scrolling through my calendar—not because I’m anxious, but because I’m curious.
Quinn insisted on color-coding it.
“You need visual proof that your life isn’t just one long crisis response,” she said, dragging events into neat little blocks like she was playing Tetris with my existence.
Today’s block is labeled in bold font.
Hobby Experiment #14: Archery
I still don’t know how I feel about that.
Quinn breezes in right on time, sunglasses perched on her head, leggings immaculate, energy dialed to brisk-but-pleasant.
“You ready, Katniss?” she asks, snagging a mug from the cabinet like this is her house too.
“I’ve never even held a bow,” I say.
“Perfect,” she replies. “Zero expectations. My favorite starting point.”
Arthur passes through the kitchen, jacket already on, phone tucked away for once.
He stops when he sees me.
His eyes do that thing—brief, assessing, warm.
“You look great,” he says.
"I'm doing archery today."
He nods, like that makes perfect sense.
He leans down, kisses me—easy, unhurried, the kind of kiss that doesn’t ask for anything—and then he’s gone, leaving behind the faintest disruption in the air, like a door closing softly.
Quinn watches the entire exchange with open approval.
“You two are so cute,” she says. “I love to see it.”
The archery range is outdoors, tucked into a green space that smells like cut grass and sun-warmed wood. Targets line up in neat rows, red and yellow rings bright against the neutral backdrops.
I feel absurdly underqualified.
The instructor is calm, patient, doesn’t look twice at the bag when I set it down. Quinn signs us in while I take it all in—the quiet concentration of the other participants, the gentle thud of arrows hitting foam.
“This is about posture,” the instructor says. “Not force.”
I like that.
I’m adjusting my stance when a woman nearby squints at me.
“Wait,” she says. “You’re the one who organized that fundraiser pop-up last month. The one with the community art auction?”
It takes me a second to place it. Hobby Experiment number six.
