“I’m not intense,” I protested.

They’d laughed in perfect unison, the synchronicity of people who knew me too well.

The apartment was quiet now, just me and my thoughts as I organized my materials for the upcoming semester. A knock at the door interrupted my concentration, unusual since I knew almost no one in New Haven yet.

Through the peephole, I saw Tyler shuffling nervously in the hallway.

I pulled the door open in surprise.

“Surprise,” he said awkwardly, holding up a plant in a ceramic pot. “Housewarming gift. It’s supposedly impossible to kill, which seemed appropriate for someone with your schedule.”

“Tyler,” I managed, genuinely shocked. “What are you doing here? How did you find my address?”

“Mom had it,” he admitted. “I should have called first, but I was afraid you might say no.”

I stepped aside to let him in, noting the expensive luggage by his feet. “Are you staying somewhere nearby?”

“Hotel downtown,” he said, looking around my apartment with interest. “This is nice. Good light.”

The small talk felt bizarre given everything that had happened. We stood in uncomfortable silence until we both spoke at once.

“I left the firm—”
“I left Chicago—”

We both stopped, then laughed, breaking the tension.

“You first,” I offered.

Tyler set the plant down on my coffee table and sank onto my couch. “I left the firm and Chicago. I’m actually moving to Boston next week. Accepted a position with an investment advisory firm that specializes in ethical investing.”

“Wow,” I said, genuinely impressed. “That’s a big change.”

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Turns out working for Dad lost its appeal once I understood what I was really participating in.” He met my eyes directly. “You were right, Nat. About all of it.”

I sat beside him, processing this development. “How did he take your resignation?”