Invisible string

bad signal.

Mia's hand twitches in the air for a moment, frozen, before the walkie-talkie slips through her fingers. It clatters to the floor with a sharp clink, the static finally cutting off. She doesn't even glance at it.

She just stands there, chest tight, mouth pressed into a thin line, forcing herself not to cry. Not here. Not now.

From her pocket, her fingers brush against something cold and hard. She pulls it out, her palm trembling slightly, and stares down at the engagement ring. The gold glints in the harsh office light. She clenches it for a long moment, swallowing the lump in her throat, before slamming it shut in her palm with a loud snap.

Then she turns and walks—silent, tense—back into the office.

Reece looks up immediately, eyes narrowing at her pale face.
"Mia?"

She says nothing. Not a word. Her jaw is tight, her eyes fixed on the floor, and she just walks past him, boots squeaking faintly on the tiles.

"...Uh..." Reece starts, then sighs. He gestures vaguely toward the door.
"You're not... gonna talk to me right now, are you?"

Mia shakes her head once, silently, almost imperceptibly.

Reece rubs the back of his neck, clearly unsure, before trying again.
"Okay... maybe... you should go to Aut. She... she can probably help more than I can right now."

Mia blinks at him but says nothing. She just stands there for a moment, staring at the wall behind him, before nodding slowly, almost mechanically, and turning toward the door again.

Reece watches her go, hands shoved into his pockets, muttering under his breath:
"God... yeah. Aut's  definitely better at this stuff."

Mia steps into the hallway, every footstep feeling impossibly heavy. Her grip tightens around the pocketed ring, her heart hammering, knowing Charlotte believes the worst, and she doesn't even have a way to explain it.

The walkie-talkie still lies on the floor behind her, dead and useless, echoing a heartbreak that hasn't even fully happened yet.

~~~~~~

Mia steps into Autumn's house, boots damp from the drizzle outside, and the quiet hum of the central heating does little to calm the storm in her chest. Autumn looks up from the couch where she's scrolling through her phone and immediately notices Mia's pale, tight-lipped expression.

"Mia... what happened?" Autumn asks softly, standing. She can tell instantly—something serious, something with Charlotte.

Mia doesn't speak. She just holds out the walkie-talkie silently, the device lifeless in her hand. Autumn takes it carefully, examining it, then sets it on the side table.

"You're... upset. I can see that," Autumn says gently. "Talk to me."

Mia shakes her head, tears threatening to spill, and pulls the engagement ring from her pocket again, twisting it in her fingers.

Autumn steps closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Okay. First things first—privacy. Winter!" she calls over her shoulder.

From upstairs, Winter appears, looking confused. "Yeah?"

Autumn gestures toward the door. "Go out with the twins for a bit. Take them somewhere. Let Mia and me... handle this."

Winter blinks, then nods, rounding up the twins quickly. "Okay... yeah, sure." Within a few moments, they're all gone, the house finally quiet except for Mia's ragged breathing and Autumn's calm presence.

Autumn sits Mia down on the couch, letting her slump into the cushions. "Alright," she says, keeping her voice soft but firm. "Talk to me. Walk me through it from the beginning."