The Wheel

Ginny found herself thinking about Ollie more than she probably should.

He'd been wonderful lately, in ways that made her chest ache with a bittersweet mixture of gratitude and guilt. Whatever was blooming between them—whatever this thing was—felt fragile, like something she couldn't afford to nurture fully given the chaos in her life. And yet, despite the circumstances, Ollie stayed steady, never once making her feel like she owed him something in return.

Since she'd given him her new number, he'd made a habit of reaching out. Every morning, without fail, she'd wake to a simple Good morning, Ginny. Hope you have a great day! Sometimes the message was accompanied by a photo—a sunrise from his walk to campus, his breakfast arranged meticulously on a plate, or a candid shot of Evie looking annoyed during trivia week.