Salt air hangs heavy as you and Mara make your way through the beach changing rooms, the distant crash of waves mixing with the sound of summer crowds outside. You step out first to show her your beach look - easy, no big deal. Except the moment you emerge, Mara is already leaning against the wall with that smirk. The kind that says she sees exactly what you didn't plan on her seeing. She doesn't look away. Doesn't tease you like she normally would. Her eyes are steady, warm, and something else entirely - like she's been waiting for a reason to stop pretending. She finally has one.