I can't stop staring at my phone, even though I know the email won't change.

Second place. Plus that note from Judge Natalie about the mentorship program that could change everything for me.

My hands are trembling as I set the phone face-down on the picnic blanket.

Next to me, Naomi is the perfect example of serenity, sprawled out in her favorite baggy shirt and pants, making daisy chains like we're still kids instead of adults about to face the real world.

The afternoon sun catches in her dark braids and I wish I had my camera to capture how the light makes her beautiful.

"You're being weird," she says without looking up, fingers carefully weaving another flower into her chain. "You've barely touched your sandwich, and you haven't taken a single photo since we got here. What's up?"

"I got the results," I blurt out, then immediately want to stuff the words back in my mouth.

It’s one of those perfect days, the kind that make you forget about all the things you’re supposed to be worried about.

I’m trying really hard not to think about the thing I’ve been holding onto for weeks, like this giant secret hovering between us.

Everything’s been so easy lately—like everything just fits with Naomi. We’ve been hanging out, talking, laughing, kissing like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Naomi has become my safe space, my favorite person to be around. And I don’t want to mess that up. But I know I’m about to.

She sits up, the daisy chain falls apart in her lap.

"From the competition? Luna! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because..." I pick at the crust of my abandoned sandwich. "It's complicated."

"Did you not-- because those judges are clearly—"

"I got second." The words come out in a rush. "And one of the judges, she... she wants to mentor me. It's this whole program thing, really exclusive, and she says my work is promising, and—"

"Luna!" Naomi tackles me in a hug that sends us both falling back.

"That's incredible! I'm so proud of you!" But then she stiffens slightly, pulling back to look at me. "Why do you look like someone died?"

"It's in the city," I whisper. "The mentorship. I'd have to move after graduation."

The silence that follows is heavy enough to crush me. Naomi sits back, flowers scattered around her like casualties of this conversation.

I watch her face – the widening of her eyes, the way her lips press together, the shadow that passes over her expression before she schools it.

"Oh," she says softly.

"I haven't said yes yet." I reach for her hand, needing her to understand. "I wanted to talk to you first. Because this – us – it matters more than—"

"Don't." She squeezes my hand, but her voice is firm. "Don't you dare say it matters more than your dreams. I've seen how you light up when you're behind a camera. How you can spend hours getting just the right angle of the neon sign at that stupid Diner, or anything."

"But what about us?" My voice cracks.

She's quiet, tracing patterns on my palm with her thumb.

"You know what I think about when I look at your photos? How you see beauty in everything. Even in this tiny town where nothing ever happens, you find these... moments. These little pieces of magic." She looks up at me, and there are tears in her eyes but she's smiling. "I love you for that."

The words hit me and I can't help the tears rushing from my own eyes. We've never said that before, not out loud.

My heart feels too big for my chest as I whisper back, "I love you too."

Her smile grows watery.

"Then you have to go." She exhales. "Because loving someone means wanting them to shine as bright as they can, even if it means..."

"Naomi," I whisper because I don't want her to say anything else that will break my heart.

She swallows. "Even if it means distance.

"I'm scared," I admit.

Naomi nods.

“I don’t want you to leave, Luna, that's me being totally honest with you.” Her eyes flicker to the ground for a moment, then meet mine again.

She shakes her head.

“But I also don’t want you to not take the opportunity. You deserve it.”

It’s like my heart does this split-second lurch. She doesn’t want me to go, but she’s still being supportive. She’s so supportive that it stings, like she’s too good to me.

“I don’t want to leave you either,” I whisper, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. My eyes start to burn all over again with tears.

Naomi takes a deep breath, and when she speaks again, her voice is steady.

“Whatever happens, I’ll be okay. But I need you to know… you don’t have to figure this out alone. We can figure it out together. And you graduate next year that means we still have time between now and then.”

I’m not sure whether she’s telling me it’s okay to go or if she’s saying she’ll stick around even if I leave. But there’s something in her voice that makes me want to kiss her.

Maybe because I know she’s trying to make it okay for me, even if it’s not. Even if the idea of leaving her feels like ripping apart something that’s finally starting to make sense.

“I love you, again,” I whisper, rubbing my thumb over hers.

Her lips curve up into that sweet smile I can’t get enough of.

“I love you too, again.”

The words feel right.

I close the distance between us, pulling her close. My lips find hers and it's slow and gentle, but it says everything.

It says, I’m scared, but I’ll try to make it work. I love you a thousand times and I don’t want to lose you.

When we finally pull away, Naomi looks at me, her eyes shimmering.

“You should ask me to the stupid dance, you know.”

I blink at her. “What?”

“The dance. You should ask me.” She sounds almost embarrassed, and it makes me laugh a little.

It’s not that Naomi’s not bold—she totally is—but I know she’s never really into things like prom.

“Are you serious?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “You want to go to a stupid dance with me?”

Naomi shrugs, looking away to hide a blush. “Why not? It’s my senior year. I only get to do it once, right?”

I pause. I’m still not entirely sure I want to go.

The idea of crowded rooms and loud music makes my stomach twist in knots.

I hate it. But something about her suggestion makes me think it could be exactly what we need—something to mark this unforgettable time in our lives.

“Okay,” I say. “Let’s do it. But only if we’re not doing any of the stupid slow dances. We’ll just eat all the snacks and hang out in the dark.”

Naomi laughs. “Deal.” She leans in and kisses me again, slow and sweet, like we’ve got all the time in the world.

And in that moment, I realize something, maybe the future is scary. Maybe it’s uncertain. But as long as I have Naomi with me, whatever happens next doesn’t feel so terrifying.

We’ll figure it out.

I smile against her lips. “We’ve got this, right?”

“Yeah,” Naomi whispers back. “We’ve got this.”