Chapter 57

Harper's POV

The last few days have felt strangely soft, like walking through a memory I’m not sure is mine.

Mark has been... happy. Or at least acting like it. There’s been no last-minute plans with the guys, no loud nights out or tension when I ask to stay home. He’s cancelled a few things, brushed off invitations, and instead, he’s been here. With me. Present in a way that makes it hard to hold onto the fear I’ve carried like armor.

And he’s been different too. Calmer. Kinder. He’s taken a real interest in my work, and not in the critical, condescending way he sometimes used to. He’s actually sat beside me, watching as I pinned fabric and adjusted seams, asking questions, nodding thoughtfully, even smiling when I explained what I was trying to do. When he told me the dress looked incredible and that I was doing so well, I didn’t know what to s