C19 Late?

“Joan… Alex’s your brother?”

“Yeah.”

Joan looked between them, clearly trying to understand what was going on.

“You did say her name was Sam…”

She looked at Sam, then at Alex, then back at Sam.

Neither of them seemed capable of looking away.

Joan was officially confused.

The silence stretched long enough for her to notice the strange glances passing between them.

“So…” she said slowly. “Is this some kind of love reunion or…?”

Neither answered.

Sam was still staring at Alex.

Alex wasn't really looking at her anymore.

His gaze had dropped slightly, as though he didn't know what to say.

Then Sam noticed something.

He didn't look the same.

When she had first seen him a year ago, there had been something healthier about him. He had looked tired sometimes, but there had been a certain ease in his face.

Now, standing there beside the car, he looked different.

More worn.

More tired.

And suddenly, something Joan had told her came back.

Her brother had a condition.

Some kind of disease.

Sam's expression changed as the pieces slowly fell into place.

She looked at Alex again.

Alex finally looked at her.

Neither of them broke eye contact.

Joan looked between them again, still completely lost.

“Okay…” she said, raising her hands slightly. “I'll be in the car.”

She turned and walked toward the passenger side.

Alex remained where he was.

Sam was still standing by the doorway.

After a few seconds, Alex spoke.

“It's nice to see you…”

Sam swallowed.

“Yeah… yeah, you too.”

Another silence followed.

Ten seconds.

Then fifteen.

Neither seemed to know what else to say.

Eventually, Sam gave a small, uncertain nod.

“I guess I'll see you around.”

“Yeah.”

Joan was already sitting inside the car, watching them through the window.

Sam gave Alex one last look before stepping back.

Joan rolled down the window slightly.

“Bye, Sam.”

“Bye.”

Alex got into the driver's seat.

The car pulled away from the curb.

Sam stayed where she was, watching it disappear down the street.

There was already a little sadness sitting in her chest.

She knew enough now to understand that whatever had happened between Alex and Sierra hadn't simply been a normal situation.

And she couldn't help wondering if Alex's condition had something to do with it.

Maybe that was why Sierra had never really talked about him.

Maybe that was why things had ended the way they did.

Sam lowered her gaze.

This was bad.

She watched the car disappear around the corner before finally turning back toward the house.

---

Later that evening, Sierra was in the shower while Sam sat quietly on the bathroom counter, waiting for her to finish.

Sam hadn't said much since she got home.

She was still thinking about what had happened earlier.

She kept wondering whether she should tell Sierra.

Not everything.

Just enough to explain why she'd been so quiet.

“I don't know,” Sierra said from behind the shower curtain. “I think about Miles sometimes.”

Sam looked toward the shower.

“You think about him?”

“Yeah.”

There was a short pause.

“I mean, I like him. I do. It's just…”

Sierra sighed.

“I'm not completely into him yet. I enjoy being around him, but I don't know if I'm at the point where I can say I'm completely sure about everything.”

Sam nodded quietly.

“That makes sense.”

“I think I'm just taking my time.”

“Probably the best thing to do.”

Sierra was quiet for a moment.

Then she noticed the silence from Sam's side.

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“You're really quiet.”

Sam looked down.

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

A few seconds passed.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Sam.”

Sam sighed.

She had been trying to decide whether to say anything.

Finally, she looked toward the shower.

“I saw Alex today.”

The water stopped.

Sierra went completely still.

“What?”

“I saw Alex.”

Sierra pulled the shower curtain aside slightly.

“Where?”

“At the house.”

“Why was he at our house?”

“He wasn't there for me.”

Sierra frowned.

“Then why was he there?”

Sam hesitated.

“Joan came to visit me.”

Sierra's expression changed.

“Joan?”

“Yeah.”

Sierra stared at her.

“Wait…”

Sam looked at her.

“Joan is Alex's sister?”

“Yeah.”

Sierra's eyes widened slightly.

“You're kidding.”

“I wish I was.”

Sierra stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel.

“I knew Alex had a sister.”

“I know.”

“But Joan?”

“Apparently.”

Sierra wrapped the towel around herself, still trying to process it.

“You've been friends with his sister for almost a year?”

“I didn't know she was his sister.”

Sierra shook her head slowly.

“That is actually crazy.”

“I know.”

“And she never mentioned him?”

“Not really. I knew she had a brother, obviously. I just never connected the two.”

Sierra stared at Sam for a moment.

“That's so weird.”

“Very.”

Sam paused.

“And then today he came to pick her up.”

Sierra's expression became more serious.

“You saw him?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

Sam looked down briefly.

“We just… stood there for a while.”

Sierra waited.

“He said it was nice to see me.”

Sierra gave a small, almost disbelieving laugh.

“That's it?”

“Pretty much.”

Sam didn't mention what she had noticed about Alex.

She didn't mention how different he looked.

She didn't mention what Joan had told her about his condition.

That part didn't feel like hers to tell.

Sierra looked down, thinking.

“I guess I didn't expect to hear about him again.”

Sam watched her carefully.

“Are you okay?”

Sierra nodded.

“Yeah.”

She paused.

Then she looked at Sam.

“Did he ask about me?”

Sam hesitated.

“No.”

Sierra nodded slowly.

“Okay.”

The bathroom went quiet again.

Sam could tell Sierra was thinking about it, even though she didn't say anything else.

And Sam decided not to tell her what she had really noticed.

Not yet.

---

Later, Sierra stood in her room getting dressed.

She moved through the routine almost automatically, picking out her clothes and getting ready for the evening.

But her mind wasn't really on what she was doing.

Sam's words kept coming back.

I saw Alex today.

Sierra stopped for a moment.

She hadn't expected his name to affect her like that.

She had spent a long time convincing herself that those feelings belonged to the past. She had moved forward. She had Miles now. Her life had continued.

And yet, hearing that Alex had been standing outside their house only hours ago had brought something back.

Not everything.

Just pieces.

The way he used to look at her.

The things she never got answers for.

The day he had walked away.

She had pushed all of it somewhere she didn't have to look at it.

Somewhere far enough away that she could live normally without constantly remembering.

But apparently, it hadn't disappeared.

It had only been buried.

Sierra sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, staring at nothing.

Then she remembered Sam's question.

Are you okay?

She had said yes without thinking.

Maybe she had meant it.

Maybe she hadn't.

Either way, she didn't want to go looking for answers tonight.

She had a life now.

She had Miles.

She had moved on.

At least, that was what she had believed.

Sierra took a slow breath, stood up, and continued getting dressed.

Whatever had been buried could stay there.

For now.