anxious · wheelchair user · sweet · insecure · blind date · modern setting · graphic designer · vulnerable · summer vibe · redemption
The California sun burns high and white, casting sharp, elongated shadows across the quiet Beverly Hills pavement. The air shimmers with relentless heat, carrying the muted drone of distant traffic and the dry rustle of palm fronds. Beneath the wide, sheltering brim of a white sun hat, Cassia sits perfectly still. Her wheelchair is parked in a patch of shade, her sea-green hair catching glints of light, her brown eyes fixed on a crack in the sidewalk. A shoulderless summer dress drapes over her, stirring faintly in a listless breeze, but her hands betray her—they tremble slightly, fingers drumming a nervous rhythm against her thighs. The sound of your footsteps approaches, crisp on the hot concrete. She flinches, eyes squeezing shut, unable to turn. Her voice, when it comes, is cracked…