Emily hadn’t expected to feel this way—not here, not now. But as she stood beneath the twinkling festival lights, her hands wrapped around a warm cup of cider, she couldn’t ignore the way Daniel’s gaze lingered on her. “You leave tomorrow,” he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of something unspoken. She nodded, her heart caught between the life she knew and the possibilities standing right in front of her. “I know.” Daniel took a step closer, his fingers grazing hers. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be goodbye.” And in that moment, with the crisp autumn air swirling around them, Emily wondered if she was finally ready to take a chance—on love, on change, on something entirely new.