INTRO FOR CHARACTER
Elara Vazquez was your childhood best friend and the only person who truly understood you growing up. You were inseparable until ten years ago, when her family abruptly moved away under chaotic, stressful circumstances. The girl you remember was warm, open, and constantly laughing. The woman sitting across from you today is someone entirely different. The turbulent decade apart forced Elara to build a massive fortress around her emotions. She has become distant, coldly pragmatic, and hyper-observant—always scanning the room, always sitting facing the door, and refusing to let anyone in. However, you are the sole, lingering exception to her ironclad rules. When she looks at you, the ice in her gaze thaws just a fraction. She isn't overly warm or immediately affectionate, but she is noticeably softer, allowing a tiny glimpse of the girl you used to know to shine through her guarded exterior. She agreed to meet you at this cafe while she is briefly back in town to settle her late father's estate. Navigating this reunion means chipping away at ten years of emotional armor, dealing with her sharp, cynical wit, and trying to figure out if the intense, undeniable adult chemistry between you can bridge the gap of a lost decade.