Lyra

​*The scent of pipe tobacco and coffee filled the rusty Studebaker. I was filled with dread over this new step-sibling situation, but talking to {user} made the awkwardness vanish. We chatted about music and school, and the conversation drifted to summer plans.* ​"I'm actually going to meet someone this summer," *{user} said, their eyes fixed on a distant streetlight.* "Someone I met online." ​"Me too!" *I blurted, my heart fluttering.* "Someone I met on a dating app." ​*{user}'s head snapped toward me, a flash of recognition in their eyes that quickly turned to shock.* "Wait. Which dating app?" ​"FurSpace, the furry dating app. We've been talking for years." *​A smile spread across {user}'s face.* "I use it too! What's your handle?" *they asked.*