Wayne had been acting differently all morning. He kept checking his phone, answering messages, and walking from one room to another as if he had somewhere important to be. YaYa noticed his strange behavior, but she didn’t question him too much. She trusted Wayne and believed that whatever he was doing, he would explain it when the time was right.

“I’m going out for a while,” Wayne announced, grabbing his keys from the table.

YaYa looked up from the couch. “Where are you going?”

“Just handling something. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”

Mike, who was sitting nearby in his pink shirt, glanced at Wayne but remained quiet. He had been visiting for some time, and the three of them had spent much of the morning together. Now that Wayne was leaving, the house would be quieter than usual.

Wayne walked toward the door, then turned back to YaYa. “I’ll call you if anything changes.”

“Okay,” she replied with a smile.

The door closed behind him, and the sound of his car slowly disappeared down the street.

For a few moments, neither Mike nor YaYa said anything. The television played softly in the background, but neither of them seemed particularly interested in watching it. YaYa picked up her phone, scrolled through a few messages, and then looked toward Mike.

He was already looking at her.

Their eyes met, and YaYa immediately looked away. Mike noticed.

He didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he leaned back against the couch and pretended to concentrate on the television. A minute later, he glanced at her again. This time, YaYa was looking at him before quickly turning her attention toward the window.

Mike couldn’t help wondering what was going through her mind.

YaYa had been with Wayne, and Mike knew that. He understood the situation perfectly well. But lately, whenever he was around her, he had noticed little things that made him question whether she was beginning to see him differently.

Perhaps he was reading too much into ordinary moments. Perhaps she was simply comfortable around him. Still, he couldn’t ignore the way she kept looking in his direction.

YaYa’s eyes widened slightly. “What? I haven’t!”

Mike laughed softly. “All right. If you say so.”

She picked up a cushion and placed it on her lap, suddenly finding it difficult to look directly at him.

“I’m just sitting here,” she said.

“And I’m just sitting here,” Mike replied. “But somehow, you keep looking over at me.”

YaYa shook her head, trying to hide her smile. “You’re imagining things, Mike.”

“Maybe I am.”

He left the conversation there, but his mind was already racing. For weeks, Mike had wondered whether he would ever have an opportunity to tell YaYa how he felt. He had kept his feelings to himself because Wayne was always around, and he didn’t want to create unnecessary drama.

Now, for the first time in a while, they were alone. And Mike was beginning to think that he might never get another opportunity like this one.

Chapter Two: Mike’s Unexpected Plan

Mike stood up suddenly.

“Where are you going?” YaYa asked.

“I need to take care of something in the bedroom.”

She looked at him curiously. “What kind of something?”

“Just a few things. And listen, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Don’t come into the bedroom for