The departures board blinked DELAYED in red. Theo checked his ticket: Vienna, Platform 9. The woman next to him checked hers: Venice, also Platform 9. "That has to be a mistake," she said. An announcement crackled: both trains were stuck, no new time given. Theo laughed. "Looks like we're both going nowhere together." She smiled. "I'm Mara."

Mara pulled out her phone to find another route. "There's a bus to Venice in three hours," she said. Theo checked too. "And a night train to Vienna tomorrow." They both went quiet, staring at the broken board. Neither one moved to leave. "Or," Theo said slowly, "we wait and see what the board does."

Mara stood up. "You take the night train. I'll take the bus. We're being silly." Theo grabbed his bag. But at the platform gate, he turned back. "Wait. Give me one reason to stay." Mara thought for a second, then said, "Because I'd miss you, and I just met you." That was reason enough.

They spent the next two weeks as if the clock had stopped. When the trains finally ran again, Theo walked Mara to her platform. "This was supposed to be a delay," she said. "It was the opposite," he answered. They traded numbers, promised to visit, and actually kept that promise. Six months later, they shared an address.