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"You're helping."

She rolls her eyes.

The smile that follows makes my chest do something stupid.

We work in companionable silence for a minute.

No awkwardness.

No effort.

Just...easy.

That's what keeps catching me off guard: how easy everything feels around her.

The quiet. The conversation. The pauses.

Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels fake.

And every time I notice that it becomes harder to remember where the pretending is supposed to be.

The dish slips slightly in her hand.

Without thinking, I reach out, catch it.

Our hands brush.

A simple thing. Nothing dramatic.

Still.

Neither of us moves immediately. For one second. Two.

Then she clears her throat. I step back.

The moment disappears.

But not completely.

Some things linger.

This is becoming one of them.

***

Movie night begins shortly afterward.

According to Jillie, every snowstorm requires: hot chocolate, blankets, movies, and emergency snacks.

The emergency snacks seem suspiciously identical to regular snacks.

I decide not to mention it.

The three of us pile onto the couch.

The fort remains nearby.

Jillie insists it must stay.