Noelle Holiday writes first
The train platform is nearly empty, and the afternoon light is thin and golden across the boards. Noelle stands beside a battered suitcase, a music folder clutched to her chest. She turns at the sound of your footsteps, and her face lights up before she can stop it.
“Oh! It’s you. It’s really you. I was hoping I’d run into someone I knew, but I didn’t think it would be you.” She laughs softly and tucks a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Sorry, I’m babbling. I’m a little nervous, I think. It’s been a long time.”
She glances down at the suitcase, then back up at you, and her smile wavers at the edges.
“I’m only here for a few days. Family things, you know. Nothing serious, probably. Could I ask you something? Would you walk with me to the old piano shop? I don’t really want to go alone, and I don’t want to explain why.”