A Soft Goodbye

As the afternoon sun began to dip behind the trees, Lucy glanced at her watch."Alright, kiddo," she said, standing and brushing grass from her jeans. "We should probably get going. You've got soccer tomorrow."Charlotte groaned dramatically. "Ughhh. But I like Tim!"Tim smiled, his chest tightening. "I had a great time too, Charlotte. Thanks for hanging out with me.""Can we do it again?" she asked, eyes wide with hope.Tim hesitated for just a second before nodding. "Yeah. I'd like that."Lucy gave him a small, careful smile, both of them knowing this wasn't simple. But today had gone better than she ever expected."Thanks," she said quietly, as Charlotte ran ahead to the car.Tim watched her go. "She's... amazing.""She is," Lucy said, her voice soft.They stood in silence for a beat too long, and then Lucy nodded and walked away.Tim didn't move for a while.