The question lingered in the air long after Aurelia had spoken it, the quiet of the park seeming to deepen around them as the last traces of sunlight slipped beneath the horizon. The soft glow of evening gave way to a dim, muted stillness, and the gentle rustling of leaves above felt almost distant, as though the world itself had withdrawn, leaving only the two of them standing in the weight of what had been said.
Luca met her gaze, yet for a brief moment, he did not respond, not because he lacked an answer, but because the answer he had carried felt heavier now that it stood between them, exposed and irreversible. The silence stretched just enough to make the space between them feel fragile, before he finally spoke, his voice quieter than before yet steady with intent.
"I… can't say it."
The words came out with hesitation, but not uncertainty, as though he had already decided this much long before this moment arrived.
