#Chapter 77 Alliance and Appearance

Mira It was afternoon when I met up with Lucian, but the sun was still warm in the cloudless sky. I sat on a swing at the communal playground outside the recreation center. I wasn’t sure if Lucian was cute or juvenile for choosing this as a meeting place, but maybe he was just trying to find a central place to connect. “A sight for sore eyes,” his voice carried across the playground as he walked from across the cork top surface. He held up his hands, a coffee cup in each, like his offering might cure all the problems in the world. I got up from my swing and we shared an awkward hug around the cups in his hands, and then he offered one to me. “A little cream and sugar,” he said of the cup in my hand, marked with an ‘M’ in marker on the side. “Hope that’s alright?” “It’s fine,” I said, keeping my true feelings to myself. The warm cup felt nice to hold in my hand, so I could just be grateful for that. “It’s good to see you,” he said, “you look good. Great, actually, really