Her small hand trembled as she lowered her spoon, eyes locked onto his. In those eyes, Howard saw not just the reflection of his own loneliness, but a spark, a glimmer of hope that had been absent for too long. It was a question she had never dared to hope for, a chance she never imagined would come her way.
“Why?” she asked in a voice barely above a whisper, still unsure whether this was a dream or reality.
“Because,” Howard began, choosing his words carefully, “sometimes, the universe guides us to where we need to be, even when it seems like all hope is lost.” He paused, the weight of his words hanging in the air. “I see a path for both of us to find what we’ve been missing.”