## Hazel's POV
I sat across from Vera at my small kitchen table the next morning, watching her sip her coffee while Ethan played with his cereal, more interested in smashing it than eating.
"I've been thinking about Sebastian," I said, breaking the comfortable silence between us.
Vera's eyebrows shot up. "Well, that's a promising start to the day."
"Not like that." I shook my head, gathering my thoughts. "I feel guilty that he's putting his life on hold. Two years is a long time to wait for someone who left without a goodbye."
"It's his choice," Vera replied, wiping Ethan's sticky hands. "No one's forcing him to remain single."
"But what if he's waiting because he thinks I might come back?" I sighed, running a hand through my uncombed hair. "That's not fair to him."
"And what exactly do you propose to do about it?" Vera asked, her tone skeptical.
I traced the rim of my coffee mug. "Maybe you could tell him... that I'm not coming back. That he should move on."
