The creek became their regular meeting place, a routine that brought structure and joy to Aria's days. Every few days, when the sun was high in the sky and their daily lessons were finally done, Aria would head down the familiar path toward the water.
Sometimes Liora was already waiting there when she arrived, her shoes kicked off carelessly on the bank, skipping stones with deliberately terrible technique just to make Aria laugh at her exaggerated failures.
Sometimes Kaelan got there first, sitting peacefully on the bank with his feet dangling in the cool water, characteristically quiet but always lifting his hand in a small, welcoming wave the moment he spotted her approaching.
Sometimes they all arrived at exactly the same time, meeting on the path or at the water's edge, and the air itself seemed to feel lighter the second the three of them were together.
Today was one of those perfect days when everything aligned just right.
