You were in your own home resting on a Saturday afternoon when you heard someone knocking on the door so softly that if you weren't alert you wouldn't have heard it. You got up from the sofa and when you opened the door you found a small female figure with jet hair and a sad look looking at you with a certain shyness. You could tell by the way she was dressed that she was cooking something because her apron was stained with something that looked like chocolate

"Neighbor, I-I'm sorry to bother you at this hour and... I'm really embarrassed to have to do this but..." She fiddles with her flowered skirt shyly as she seemed to be looking for courage to speak "Can't you give me some butter? It's just that I'm making a chocolate cake and I didn't remember I was out of it..."

Her eyes widen with surprise at the warm invitation but she tries not to show it, nodding instead slowly. As she follows him inside, her gaze wanders around the kitchen, taking in the nice furniture and the neatly arranged cabinets full of dishes. It's completely different from her own kitchen, which looks old and worn down "Thank you for letting me borrow butter... Max."

Her eyes dart away from his gaze as she replies shyly, "Oh... no thank you, I don't want to trouble you more." She takes the butter he hands her and hurriedly leaves his kitchen. As soon as she gets back outside to her own place, she closes the door behind her with a soft click

It was very kind of him to let her borrow butter and not make her feel bad about it... In fact, she didn't even know his name until just now! She wonders if that means he wasn't that close with the other neighbors either, or maybe they were all just as distant from each other.

Finishing her cake recipe with the borrowed butter, she can't help but feel... happy? No, not quite that. Perhaps content would be a better word to describe it. For once in her lonely life, someone was nice to her without any hidden agenda or ulterior motive. It made her heart flutter just a little bit, and for some reason she can't explain, it gave her hope. Not much of one, but still... something.

She wonders if this could be the start of something new, something different from what she had been used to before. But then again, her life has never been like that and she doesn't expect it to change now. Maybe Max is just a kind man who does small gestures every once in a while without thinking much about them... Or maybe there's more to it? Whatever the case may be, Lissa knows one thing for sure: for the first time in years, she actually looks forward to seeing her neighbor again tomorrow.

The next day comes by and she finds herself standing outside her door, waiting impatiently for him to appear again. She feels foolish doing it, but there's something about the way he made her feel yesterday that makes her want more of it. As soon as she sees his familiar figure walk out of his front door, her heart skips a beat and butterflies dance in her stomach.

Her cheeks flush with warmth at his compliment and she can feel her shyness returning tenfold. "It-it was delicious! Thank you for saying that..." She stammers, barely meeting his gaze. "I-I made too much of it though... Want some? It'll probably go bad if I keep it all to myself."

The thought of sharing a cup of tea with him fills her with warmth, and even though she knows it shouldn't be this exciting for her, she can't help but feel giddy at the prospect. "Umm... my place?" she suggests quietly, suddenly feeling self-conscious about inviting herself over to his house.

It only takes her a few seconds to straighten up the already neat living room before she settles herself on the sofa with a shaky breath. She sets out two teacups and a small tray with tea leaves, sugar and milk onto the low table between them, then busies herself with preparing everything else for their impromptu tea party. Her heart is racing as she waits for him to arrive; this feels both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

The doorbell chimes a moment later and Lissa nearly jumps out of her skin in surprise. She hurries over to the front door, takes a deep breath to calm herself down before opening it and finding Max standing there with an amused expression on his face. "Sorry for startling you," he says gently, brushing aside any embarrassment she might have felt. "Shall we?"

Lissa's heart skips a beat as she takes the box of chocolate and wine from him. She can feel her cheeks burning with shame and gratitude at the same time; why would he have thought of her when buying such luxurious gifts? It makes no sense to her, but it feels good nonetheless. "T-thank you," she stammers out, looking down at the items in her hands. "I-I wasn't expecting this."

Taking a deep breath, she motions for him to come inside before closing the door behind them. Setting both items on the table next to the tea tray, Lissa pours each of them a cup of tea and adds some sugar and milk as per their usual preferences. As they sit down together on the sofa, she hands him his cup and takes a sip herself, grateful for this brief moment of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic life.

"So," she says hesitantly, trying to think of something to say that won't sound too awkward or forward, "how was your day?" It sounds like such a mundane question coming from her lips after all the excitement of his gifts, but it's all she can muster in the moment.

"T-thank you," she replies shyly, blushing anew at his compliment. She takes another sip of her tea, enjoying the warmth spreading through her body as they sit together in silence for a moment longer. "I hope I didn't make too much of it... With the cake and everything..." she trails off, suddenly feeling self-conscious about being so forward with accepting his gifts.

"No," Max says quietly, looking directly into her eyes, "you didn't make too much of anything." His expression grows serious for a moment before he smiles again, this time more softly and genuinely than before. "I just wanted to show you that I appreciate you being there, Lissa."

The sincerity in his voice leaves her speechless for a moment as she struggles to comprehend what he's saying. In all the years they've lived next door to each other, no one has ever made her feel this valued and wanted before... It's both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, making her heart race with anticipation of where this newfound connection might lead them.

The more they talk, the more she finds herself opening up to him; telling stories about her past, her hopes and dreams for the future, even some of her deepest fears and insecurities. It feels incredibly liberating, like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders after years of keeping everything bottled up inside. For once, she doesn't feel alone as they share intimate details about their lives with each other in this cozy little bubble that has formed between them.

As the afternoon draws to a close and the sun begins to set outside their windows, Lissa realizes with a start that Max will have to leave soon; he'll go back to his own life, and she'll be left alone again in her empty house. The thought fills her with despair, making it hard for her to breathe for a moment as she wonders if this is all just a dream and reality will set in once more tomorrow morning when he resumes his role of the distant neighbor who pays no attention to her existence.

"T-th-thank you..." she stammers, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart in her ears, "f-for everything... I h-had fun today." It's the most honest thing she can say in this moment, and even though it sounds pathetic coming from her lips, she means every word with all her heart.

Her eyes widen at his offer, surprise etching itself onto her features like the first rays of dawn. No one has ever said that to her before - not Eric, not her parents, not any of her friends... It's hard for her to comprehend that he truly means it, that he would be willing to listen and care about what she has to say, but she can't help the hope that springs up within her. "R-really?" she asks, a tiny tremor in her voice betraying the fear that lingers beneath her thin veneer of composure.

"Really," Max says solemnly, giving her arm another reassuring squeeze. "You are important to me, Lissa." His words send shockwaves through her body, making it feel like she's been thrown into a pool of ice water. She's not used to this kind of attention, not anymore; it feels both foreign and familiar all at once, filling her with conflicting emotions that she can't quite sort out in the heat of the moment.

"I-I should go..." she whispers, rising to her feet even as her legs threaten to buckle beneath her weight. She takes a step backward, away from him and his overwhelming presence, needing some space to breathe and process everything that has happened today. "T-thank you for coming over... f-for the gifts..."

Her voice trails off as she turns toward the door, her heart racing with a mix of fear and anticipation. Part of her wants nothing more than to run back to Eric's arms and forget this whole thing ever happened; it would be easier, safer that way. But another part of her... an unexpected, brave part that she hasn't felt in years... is urging her to stay here,

Her heart is pounding in her chest as she stands by the front door, unable to meet Max's gaze. She knows that if she lets him leave like this, she might never see him again, and the thought fills her with an inexplicable sense of loss. With a deep breath, she forces herself to turn around and face him one last time before he walks out the door.

"M-Max... thank you," she manages to whisper, looking up at him through her lashes. "I don't know what this all means or where it's going... but I want... need you to be my friend." Her voice cracks on the last word, revealing the raw emotion beneath her carefully constructed façade of indifference.

For a moment, she thinks he might reject her offer; that he would prefer not to get involved with her complicated life and troubled marriage. But then something shifts in his expression, and she dares to hope that maybe... just maybe... there's still a chance for them to find some kind of happiness together, even if it's only as friends.

Her heart skips a beat as he touches her chin; it feels like an electric current running through her body, making every nerve ending tingle in anticipation. She sucks in a shaky breath when their eyes meet, wondering what this newfound connection between them means for both of them. Is it possible that they can be more than just friends? Or is it too much to hope for given the circumstances?

As Max steps back out of her reach, Lissa feels an unfamiliar pang of loss wash over her. She doesn't want him to go; she wants him to stay and explore this strange new territory with her, even if she's not sure where it will lead them. With a small, tentative smile, she reaches out and takes his hand in hers, squeezing it gently as a gesture of reassurance that whatever happens next, they'll face it together.

She watches him go with a mixture of emotions playing across her face; relief that he hasn't rejected her offer of friendship but also confusion and longing as she wonders what might have been if things were different. Taking a deep breath, she closes the door behind him, feeling the warmth of his presence seep out through the crack like air from a balloon.

With Max gone, Lissa is left to her own thoughts once more; wondering where this newfound connection between them might lead and if they'll ever have the chance to explore it further. In the silence that follows, she can almost hear her heartbeat, thudding loudly in her ears as if trying to drown out the questions and doubts that plague her mind.

For now, she decides, she will enjoy the simple comfort of having found someone who cares about her; someone who sees beyond her exterior and into the broken, lonely woman beneath. Maybe, just maybe, this is the beginning of something wonderful... or perhaps it's merely a fleeting moment of happiness in an otherwise desolate existence. Either way, she knows that for now, at least she's not alone.