The call ended. The courtyard went quiet. And somewhere across the gap, a shadow moved behind a lit window—a hand lifting in a small wave.
“Before midnight.”
“Goodnight, Ellie three floors up.”
“That’s private,” she said, her voice smaller than she wanted. sammmnextdoor
She laughed—a real one, the kind June had written about—and heard him exhale like he’d been holding his breath. The call ended