Rachel stared down at her phone, her eyes fixed on the messages that had just arrived from Harper. The first text had been simple yet bittersweet—Harper was back in Berlin, needing time to process everything that had happened.
But it was the second message that had caught Rachel's attention, easing the initial sting of anger she had felt. "I miss you a lot, Rach. I do," the text read, accompanied by a picture of Harper's beloved dog, Luna, sitting before a picturesque lake.
Rachel stared at the picture Harper had sent, the vibrant hues of the lakeside scene telling her that it was still daylight where her childhood friend was. Glancing at the clock, she quickly calculated the time difference, realizing it was a reasonable hour to place the call.