Car talk

Zina's POV

The silence in the car felt heavier than usual. The air felt thick, pressing down on me like a weight. Asher sat in the passenger seat, his small body stiff and rigid, his eyes glued to the window. The faint light of the late afternoon sun shone through the trees, casting soft shadows across the road, but Asher's face remained expressionless, a cloud of thoughts clouding his features.

I kept stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye, wondering what was going on in his little mind. Normally, after practice, Asher would be bubbling with excitement, talking about the drills, his teammates, and what he was looking forward to next. But today, he was silent—too silent. It worried me.

"Hey, Asher," I said, my voice quieter than usual. "You okay, sweetheart?"

He didn't look at me, just kept his gaze fixed outside the window. His hand fidgeted with the straps of his bag.

"I'm fine," he muttered, his voice sounding flat, almost emotionless.