Maya first noticed him at the edge of the highway, where the tar smell met wild grass. He wasn't like the others — no frantic rush, no blaring horn. Just a deep, patient rumble, like thunder deciding whether to stay.

She felt like she had arrived.

Lorry would pull into the gravel lot at 1:17 a.m. sharp. Never ordered much. Just sat there, engine idling, vibrating through the cracked pavement, through the soles of her worn boots, up her spine.

That’s what the other truckers called him — a massive, rust-kissed hauler with headlights like sleepy eyes and a grill that seemed to smile when she passed. Maya worked the late shift at the roadside diner, wiping down counters and pouring coffee for ghosts of the asphalt.