Something I can’t quite pin down passes over her face at that, and her expression shifts as she unfolds the small piece of paper to read over what she wrote. She shakes her head and folds it back up before reattaching it to the inside of the mask.

“You have no idea how many times I rewrote that note. And I still don’t think I got it right.”

“I don’t know about that. I kept it, after all.”

She smiles at me for a second and takes another longing look at the mask before she returns it to the closet and hangs it back up where she found it. She reaches for the nearest of my sweaters, and although it’s obviously too big for her, when she slides it over her head it still looks perfect on her—just like everything else.

“Do you mind if I get some air for a second?” she asks, gesturing past me at the sliding glass door leading to the small balcony beyond it.

“Sure.” I step over to the door to unlock and open it, and although it’s late October, a gust of unseasonably warm air rushes in.

Smiling, Hannah walks past me out onto the balcony and rests her hands on the railing, staring out at the view and letting the wind lift her beautiful dark hair. Watching her like this feels like being part of some Hollywood production, like the starlet of the day is standing on my balcony and getting her glamour shot taken. I step out behind her and settle onto one of the chairs I keep out on the balcony.

She sighs and turns around, resting her back against the railing. “This is amazing. You’d never get me off here if I had something like this.”

“Well, anytime you want to enjoy it, it’s yours.”

Hannah smiles and sits down across from me. We sit admiring the view and enjoying each other’s quiet company, and I don’t feel like I need to say a word. This is perfect. We don’t have to say or do anything. As long as I’m spending time with her, that’s all I need. But when I glance over at her and see how tired she looks, worry twists in my stomach. She’s been pushing herself super hard since I got to town, and I’m sure that isn’t new for her, but I don’t want her to burn herself out.

Maybe it isn’t my place to ask, but I’m genuinely concerned, so I decide to test the waters.

“Can I ask you something?” I say slowly.

“Sure,” she says as she leans back in her chair and her eyes flutter shut.