Subtle interactions escalate

It started with the smallest things, the kind you could easily dismiss if you weren't looking for them. A shared glance across the lawn that held just a fraction too long, a casual wave that felt weighted with unspoken possibility. Then came the lingering smiles during brief encounters by the mailboxes or at the edge of the driveway, moments that stretched beyond polite neighborly greetings.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, these fleeting connections began to weave themselves into the fabric of the days. Running into them at the grocery store felt less like chance and more like a potential opportunity, a subtle pull drawing our orbits closer. Each brief interaction, innocent on the surface, seemed to amplify the hum beneath the skin, a silent acknowledgment of the growing, undeniable tension.