Friday morning carried a strange finality—the last first day, the last walk to work as interns, the last time they'd separate at the elevator to go to their respective floors.
Luca felt it as soon as he woke up, a weight in his chest that was equal parts nostalgia and anticipation.
"Last day," he said, watching Noel button his shirt.
"Last day," Noel confirmed.
"Feels somehow."
"Yeah. It does."
They moved through their routine slower than usual, neither one quite ready to let go of this chapter, even though they both knew it was time.
The walk to work was quiet, both of them caught in their own thoughts.
"I'm going to miss this," Luca said eventually. "The routine. Having you right upstairs."
"We'll still have routine. Just different."
"I know. But this specific thing—walking together, lunch together, knowing you're just an elevator ride away....I'll miss this version."
