Evelyn paused. “What… 'Science'?”

“Science,” Tina repeated slowly, “the same journal Karl Longhorn hasn’t published in yet.”

Evelyn stood there, stunned.

Another morning came, and Miranda had a class to attend. She planned to grab breakfast at the school cafeteria. As soon as she opened her door, she found herself face-to-face with Paul, who was stepping out at the same time.

Their eyes met, and both froze for a moment.

Miranda broke the silence first, smiling as she said, “Good morning, Dr. Jefferson.”

“Morning. Heading to campus?” Paul asked.

“Yeah.” Miranda nodded. “Thought I’d stop by the cafeteria for breakfast first.”

“Perfect, let’s go together?”

“Sure.”

As they walked downstairs, Paul suddenly turned to her. “Bedford College just released the official announcement—congratulations on your first 'Science' publication.”

“Thank you, Dr. Jefferson. Without your help with the lab and being my corresponding author, I don’t think it would’ve been this easy to get accepted.”

Paul was no stranger to “Science”—his name carried some weight.

“I only gave you the opportunity. What really made the difference was your talent.”

The two walked side by side, bathed in the soft morning sunlight. The atmosphere was peaceful, quiet, and full of promise.

Since their last conversation, Paul had stopped avoiding Miranda. As for whether those dreams had continued…

Well, only Paul and the laundry lines, full of freshly washed bed sheets, knew the answer to that.