The train swayed slightly. Somewhere down the car, a baby started to fuss. The conductor's voice came through the overhead speakers, announcing their next stop with that same detached, even tone.
Kendrick leaned his head back. "You know… I used to think the best we could hope for in this life was efficiency. No mistakes, no attachments. Just clean missions."
Zephany glanced at him. "And now?"
He looked at her, eyes softer than they used to be. "Now I think maybe that was just fear talking. Like if we let anything in, it would all fall apart."
She nodded slowly. "It's easy to be alone when the job needs you to be. It's harder to stay human."
The silence between them wasn't heavy anymore. It breathed. It gave space.
"I kept the photo," Kendrick said suddenly.
Zephany blinked. "The selfie?"
He pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward her. There they were, mid-laugh, cheeks flushed from the climb, the world behind them soft and golden.
"You look happy," he said quietly.
