The days after the New Year passed quickly, each one blurring together in a quiet symphony of messages, calls, and laughs. Mira had never expected things to feel this natural. Every conversation with Jace felt like an extension of the one before — no awkward silences, no forced small talk. It was like they had known each other forever, even though they were still getting to know the smallest details of each other's lives.
One evening, as the sun set outside Mira's window, she found herself staring at her phone screen, waiting for Jace's usual goodnight message. They'd gotten into the habit of sending each other sweet messages before bed, a kind of unspoken ritual. She smiled as she typed:
"You're still up? Or are you already asleep like a normal person?"
It was a running joke between them. Mira wasn't a morning person, and Jace... well, he never really seemed to sleep.
A few moments later, the message came through.
"I'm up, barely. But I have a feeling you won't let me sleep anyway."
She laughed, flipping the pillow under her head.
"You're right, I'm not. I need to tell you something."
A few dots blinked on the screen before his reply popped up.
"What's up?"
Mira hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure why, but there was something in the air tonight that made her want to say something special, something that reflected how much she appreciated him.
"I just wanted to say... I'm really glad we met. I didn't think a random message on New Year's would turn into something so... real."
She hit send, not really expecting a response but hoping it would resonate with him.
His reply came almost immediately.
"I'm glad too. Honestly, I can't imagine my days without talking to you. It's like... I don't know, something just clicked."
Mira felt her heart swell. It was exactly how she felt, too. There was something so easy about being with him, even if they were still learning about each other.
They spent the next few hours chatting casually, laughing about everything from their favorite childhood cartoons to the weirdest foods they'd ever tried.
It was late when Jace finally said goodnight, promising to text her in the morning as usual. But before she could put her phone down, he sent one last message.
"One more thing, Mira."
She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
"Yeah?"
"I think... I think I'm falling for you."
Her breath caught in her chest. The words were simple, but they felt like a weightless promise, something real and honest. She stared at the screen for a long moment before typing her reply.
"I think I'm falling for you too."
The words were out there now, floating in the air between them. And it was terrifying in the best way possible.
The next morning, Mira woke up with a smile on her face. She had been waiting for this, but it still felt like a dream — like it couldn't be real. But as she scrolled through her phone, she saw his message waiting for her:
"Good morning, gorgeous."
She smiled, her heart fluttering. This was real. This was happening.
They spent the day texting nonstop, the kind of messages that kept you up late at night, excited to hear from the other person. They didn't have to talk about anything profound. In fact, sometimes the best conversations were the random ones, the ones where they just teased each other and made each other laugh.
As the days passed, Mira found herself opening up more, telling Jace things she hadn't even told her closest friends. He was the kind of person who listened, who made her feel heard. And maybe that was the most special part of it all — the fact that he was there, present, in a way that made everything else seem secondary.
One Saturday, Jace asked if they could have a movie night. It wasn't anything grand or extravagant. They weren't in the same room, after all. But they'd made a plan to watch a movie at the same time, just so they could talk about it afterward. It was small, but it felt like something bigger, something that made the distance between them feel less significant.
They picked The Princess Bride because, as Jace put it, "It's a classic, and you haven't seen it yet, which is a crime."
Mira watched the movie, laughing at the ridiculousness of the dialogue and the absurdity of the plot. Halfway through, she felt her phone vibrate next to her. It was Jace.
"This is my favorite part! I knew you'd love it."
She couldn't stop laughing, replying quickly:
"It's amazing! I can't believe I missed out on this gem."
They continued texting back and forth as they watched the movie, sharing their favorite scenes, making fun of the cheesy moments, and quoting lines to each other. It was as if they had created their own little world in the middle of their ordinary days, a world where everything made sense, where they were just two people who liked each other and shared moments of joy.
As the credits rolled, Mira felt a warmth in her chest. She could picture him sitting there, probably smiling at the screen, just like her. And for the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn't alone.
"See you tomorrow?" Jace texted after a while.
Mira smiled, heart full. She didn't even need to think about it.
"Of course. I'll be waiting."
And as she put her phone down and settled into bed, she realized that the world seemed a little brighter, the future seemed a little more certain. She wasn't sure where this would go or what would happen next, but in that moment, it didn't matter.
Because, for once, she was just happy.