---
Chapter 21: What We Don't Say
The Gathering
Lina didn't ask—she declared it.
"We're all meeting tonight. My place. No excuses."
She cooked. Marcus brought music. Calvin and Daisy showed up last, silent but side by side.
No one brought up Berlin or Nairobi. Not yet.
They played cards. Ate too much. Laughed at old photos. Then, when the air grew still, Marcus said, "You both have offers, right?"
No one blinked.
Calvin finally nodded. "I leave next month. Berlin."
Daisy added, "Six weeks. Nairobi."
And for the first time, it wasn't terrifying. Just real.
---
A Moment of Stillness
"You don't have to decide tonight," Lina said.
"But you do have to be honest," Marcus added.
Daisy turned to Calvin. "If you go, I won't stop you."
He met her eyes. "And if you go, I'll still be proud of you."
They weren't letting go of each other—they were learning how to hold on without holding back.
---
The Pact
Lina raised her glass. "To the scary choices."
Marcus added, "To doing what's hard... for what matters."
Calvin and Daisy lifted theirs last.
"To love that learns," Calvin whispered.
"To hearts that don't run," Daisy said.
---