Maddie greets Kai with a smile, her voice rising when she says his name. "I missed you yesterday," she adds, laughing at how easily it comes out. Kai grins and tells her Tyler is here again today. "Good," she answers, still smiling, and closes the door behind her. The familiarity between them settles fast—light teasing, small laughs, the kind that don't need explanation. They talk about Jonte. Kai gestures toward the wall and says, "He painted that." Maddie looks over and laughs, shaking her head. "That's crazy. He's so good." She keeps looking at it for a second before turning back, her hand brushing her hair from her face. The small pauses between them feel unforced, each one filled with another quiet smile. Tyler joins in. "How's it going?" he asks. Maddie turns toward him. "Good," she says, meeting his eyes. They talk about yesterday, a few words exchanged about how she felt and what's next. She listens closely, answers softly, nodding once before following his lead. Their closeness deepens; the talk fades to breath and motion. When things settle, Maddie is still catching her breath, hair loose around her face. Tyler says something that makes her laugh again, low and honest. She looks between him and Kai, smiling. "You're ridiculous," she says, still laughing, her voice open and steady, the warmth from her arrival unchanged.

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