Harper’s POVIt takes me three hours to get through everything they sent. Three long hours of reading, double-checking, hesitating, and then pushing myself to keep going, because if I stop now, I might never finish. I tick each box carefully, pausing often to think about what I’m really comfortable with, and what I’ve only ever pretended to be okay with. The list is overwhelming in its detail, more thorough than I expected, but I understand why it matters. It isn’t just a form, it’s a map, and if I lie on it, I’ll only be leading myself somewhere I don’t want to go.When it’s done, I attach the file and send it back. My hands are shaking a little, and I don’t even know if it’s fear or anticipation anymore. It might be both.I don’t have time to sit with that feeling, though, because the front door opens and Mark steps inside. I close the app in a heartbeat and slide the phone into the cushion beside me. He’s already smiling, a rare, open kind of smile that immediately makes me nervous
Last Updated : 2025-09-17 Read more