Sol stepped into the carriage, the door closing behind her with a soft sigh. The air inside was warmer than the fog outside, but just as quiet. Velvet seats lined both sides of the aisle, each one bathed in the amber glow of overhead lanterns.
Her seat - 17A - was on the left. But her eyes were drawn to the girl sitting directly across, in 17B.
She was already watching her.
Notebook in lap, legs tucked beneath her, the girl had the kind of presence that made silence feel like a choice. Her hair was tousled, her smile unapologetic. She looked like someone who'd introduce herself before you could even ask.
Sol slid into her seat, trying not to stare. She opened her own notebook, pretending to write, but her pen hovered above the page.
The girl leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
"You're trying not to look at me," she said, voice playful. "Which means you've already looked. Twice."
Sol glanced up, caught.
"You're very... noticeable."
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said, grinning. "I'm Luna. I talk too much, I collect weird facts, and I once tried to adopt a cloud."
Sol blinked.
"A cloud?"
"Technically, it was a fog bank, but I named it Percy and everything."
Sol couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.
"I'm Sol. I prefer quiet. And I don't usually talk to people who name weather."
Luna leaned back, satisfied.
"Well, lucky for you, I'm not weather. I'm just persistent."
Outside, the fog thickened, pressing against the windows like a secret waiting to be told. The train rocked gently, a rhythm that was almost soothing. The landscape rolled by in soft blurs - fields, rooftops, the occasional flash of sea.
Sol sat by the window, earbuds in, but no music was playing. Just a habit. She watched the light shift across Luna's face as the train dipped into shadow and sun again.
Luna sipped something lukewarm from a paper cup, her fingers tapping against the lid like she was keeping time with a song only she knew.
"So, mystery girl. What's your name?"
"Sol."
"Like the sun?"
"Like the Spanish word for it, yeah."
"Nice. I'm Luna."
Sol raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Dead serious. I didn't plan this celestial meet-cute, I swear."
Sol chuckled.
"Alright, Luna. What brings you onto this fine piece of public transport?"
"Vacation. Or escape. Depends on how dramatic I'm feeling."
"Today?"
"Today it's vacation. I packed snacks and everything."
She pulled out a crinkled bag of gummy bears and offered it. Sol took one without hesitation.
"You?"
"Same. Heading to the coast."
"Beach person?"
"More of a quiet place person."
"Same. I like the idea of the beach more than the actual sand-in-my-shoes reality."
Sol nodded.
"Sand is the enemy."
They both laughed. It was easy. Unforced.
Luna leaned back, watching Sol with open curiosity.
"So, what do you do when you're not riding trains and dodging sand?"
Sol hesitated, then shrugged.
"A little bit of everything."
"Cryptic. I like it."
"You?"
"I work at a café. Mostly making coffee, sometimes pretending I know how to fix the Wi-Fi."
"Important skills."
"Very. I'm basically the backbone of civilization."
Sol smiled.
"Do you like it?"
"Some days. I like the regulars. I like the smell of espresso. I don't love the 6 a.m. shifts."
"Understandable."
Luna pulled out her phone and waved it.
"You on Insta? Or are you one of those mysterious off-grid types?"
"I'm on. Barely."
"Perfect. I'll follow you and judge your aesthetic."
Sol took the phone and typed in her handle. Luna did the same.
"You have, like, three posts," Luna said. "One's a tree. One's a blurry sunset. One's a cat?"
"My neighbour's cat. He visits sometimes."
"You're a minimalist. I respect that."
Sol scrolled through Luna's feed.
"You post a lot of latte art."
"It's my legacy."
"You're good at it."
"Thank you. I take my foam very seriously."
The train slowed slightly, curving along the coast. The sea appeared - sudden and vast - and both of them turned to look.
"Wow," Luna said softly.
Sol nodded.
"It's always surprising. Even when you expect it."
They sat in silence again, but it was different now. Charged with something gentle and new.
Luna glanced at Sol.
"So, where are you staying?"
"A guesthouse near the cliffs."
"No way. I'm booked at one just down the road from there."
"Small world."
"Or fate."
Sol raised an eyebrow.
"You believe in fate?"
"Only when it's convenient."
They laughed again. The train hummed beneath them, steady and sure.
Luna pulled out a notebook and started doodling. Sol watched the lines form - a sun, a moon, a train.
"You draw?"
"Badly. But enthusiastically."
"That's the best way."
"You do anything creative?"
Sol thought.
"I write sometimes. Not seriously."
"Poetry?"
"Mostly thoughts. Fragments."
"That's poetry."
Sol shrugged.
"Maybe."
Luna tore out the page and handed it to her.
"Here. A souvenir."
Sol took it carefully.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. You can frame it and pretend it's from a famous artist."
"I'll tell people I met Luna the Latte Queen on a train."
"Exactly. Build the legend."
The train began to slow again, approaching a station. Luna checked her phone.
"Still a while to go."
"Good."
"Yeah. I'm not done talking to you yet."
Sol smiled.
"Same."
They settled back into their seats, the conversation drifting from favourite movies to weird childhood snacks to the best way to fold fitted sheets (they agreed: you don't).