la's

k, though I couldn't be sure. Everything felt unfamiliar in a way that pressed against my ski

ment as I crossed the street, my fingers tightening around

undo, yet it lingered in the way my chest refused to settle. In the way my thou

thm without asking who I used to be. I walked through it like someone learning how to exist again, st

ell

I looked up and found her standing on the corner, waving with both hands like

ough to breathe properly, but enough

ning my face before she pulled me into a hug th

sting lightly on my arms, her gaze searching in a

n't quite reach where it used

al ease. "I was going to say you look like you haven'

n accurate," I said

fingers brushing mine for a second before taking

something fragile. I didn't respond, I just follo

pavement. Reflections slid across the glass like shif

ds, a new café she'd been insisting I would love. I nodded where it seemed appropriate, smil

e said eventually, though t

her. "You said something about a restaurant

, but it's close enough." She studied me again, more carefu

back to the window.

er. "You're answering like some

st my coat. "I just don't want to

d feel her watching me, waiting, givi

?" she asked

ed slowl

An

dn't a

seat, her arms crossing loose

ok ever

n us, heavy with things w

nd that made the city lights feel warmer than they were. She led me up the narrow staircase, her st

apping around me the moment I stepped inside. It felt lived-

pushing open a door. "I changed the sheets t

her. "You ha

d like someone standing on the edg

pping into the ro

o know you." She ti

d. "Yes.

ll ho

ll ho

y hands pressing into the comforter as I stared at my reflection in the window. The city stretched behind i

my cheek as if I could smooth out the exhaus

n with two mugs, steam curling into the air between us. She han

say anything tonig

mug, letting the heat seep into

e that for a while, the only sound the faint hum of the city ou

m?" she asked eventual

, like it needed time to rea

se anything else woul

ngers tapping once against he

Ye

icking briefly to my stomach before returni

mug tightened

second before lifting again. "That's a c

choice," I said, my voic

id it fe

ly fragments. "Like staying would have brok

. She studied me, as if measuring

the only option,"

t realized I'd been holding

does," she r

ence again, I unpacked slowly, placing my things into unfamiliar spaces. Each

one, I moved

ter drifted up from the street, a siren cut briefly through the night before fading into so

zed against t

mmediately. I kn

a moment, I

own n

ssage w

iss

made it harder to stand still. I read the words again, as if

wer that," Clara sa

heard he

my voice steady in a

loosely across her chest. "Knowing a

placing it face down on

second longer before nod

s i

s a s

her to say more, then gave a small, understanding

ill

r," she admitted.

gh I wasn't sur

ceiling above me unfamiliar in its stillness. The city light filtered thro

y stomach, resting th

I murmured, my voice barely audi

ing into the space between

buzzed o

each for it

ty fill the room. Laughter in the distance. A car door s

that slipped through my grasp eac

ought I heard his voice, threaded with

me h

diately, my body sti

blanket closer as the first light of