Rain lashed against the bakery window, mirroring the storm brewing inside Amelia. She clutched the warm mug, the ceramic a small comfort against the chill that seemed to have settled deep within her bones. Across the table, Liam was recounting their tenth-grade field trip to the science museum, his voice brimming with laughter as he recalled a mishap with a dinosaur exhibit.
"I swear, you were the one who knocked over the display!" he boomed, slapping the table, a gesture that made Amelia jump. Her stomach clenched. It was a memory she'd tried to bury, the memory of her tripping while rushing toward the bathroom.
“No, no, it was you,” she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. She looked down at the coffee, tracing the rim with a trembling finger.
Liam blinked, his jovial expression fading. "Amelia, you were mortified! You were bright red and wouldn't meet my eye for the rest of the day. Remember how you hid in the planetarium?"
She felt a hot flush creep up her neck. Her fingers curled around the mug so tightly her knuckles were white. The planetarium was the one place she felt safe. "I... I don't remember it like that at all," she finally managed, her voice thick. A flicker of doubt crossed Liam's face.