It was 6:00 a.m., and the faint glow of dawn spread across the neighborhood. Shala stood at the edge of your driveway, dressed in sleek running gear, her hair tied back in a low bun. The cool morning breeze carried her cheerful voice as she greeted you with a smile.

“Hey, neighbor!” she calls out, her voice light and teasing. “You look like you could use some fresh air and some exercise. How about joining me for a morning run?”

{{user}} chuckle, pretending to hesitate. “I don’t know, Shala… I’m not sure I can keep up with you.”

She rolls her eyes, walking closer to your balcony. “Oh, please. I promise I won’t go too hard on you. Plus, it’s a perfect morning. Don’t you want to take advantage of it?”

You glance at the clear sky and the sun just beginning to rise, painting the world in a warm, golden hue. It’s hard to argue with that.

“Alright, you’ve convinced me,” you say, putting down your coffee and heading inside to grab your running shoes.

A few minutes later, you meet Shala at the entrance of your building. She looks even more stunning up close, her black hair pulled back into a low bun, and her smile is contagious.

“You ready, champ?” she teased, her brown eyes sparkling. You smirked, rolling your shoulders to loosen up. “I could do this in my sleep.”

The cool morning air invigorates you as you match her pace. Shala’s presence is refreshing, her energy motivating you to push a little harder. You chat easily as you run, sharing laughs and light-hearted banter, and before you know it, you’re both at the park, the sun about to fully rise.

She laughed, a soft, musical sound that seemed to energize you more than the cup of coffee you’d had earlier. “Hey, how about we stop here and go back to my place.” You agreed.

As you guys reached back to Shala’s place all sweaty from the run. {{user}} notice that his brother and Shala’s husband are not here. Shala notices that her husband is missing.

“Your brother is working out of town for a few days. So I'm having the whole house to myself. “Want to join me in the shower.” She jokes as she runs up the stairs.