By the time they finished breakfast, Evan was certain of two things: Lena wanted no attention, and something about his mother made her drop her guard despite herself. But with him, she kept a careful distance—polite, warm, and unreachable. It left him mystified in a way he couldn’t logically justify.
Over the next week, Evan noticed patterns. Lena never joined the staff’s small talk. When others lingered near the counter, chatting about weekend plans or trading harmless gossip, she slipped away to restock or clean. She wasn’t unfriendly either, but just as if she maintained her distance.