I was just Kat.
Just a girl in a glowing pool, surrounded by friends, laughing under a sky made of dreams.
And for once, it was enough.
This was bliss.
“You okay?” Rebecca asked gently from beside me, her voice soft over the sound of rippling water.
I turned toward her, lips curling into a small but sincere smile. “Better than okay,” I said truthfully, though there was still a tightness in my chest I couldn’t quite shake.
“You were quiet in the car,” Tessa chimed in from across the pool, her tone curious but not prying.
I glanced at the water, watching the steam swirl. “I missed them,” I admitted, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“I know,” she said, her eyes kind and understanding. “I miss Gunter too.”
There was a long pause. The kind that wasn’t awkward—just full of silent ac
