d never been

e hush of midnight. This silence pressed against his ears, heavy and accusin

room long after the front

ammed

ted acc

matic

d simp

sister's place when things became tense, returned a few days later with tired eyes

ours

night

didn't c

eached for his phone, scrolled through unread emails, answered a few work messages, anything to keep

th

n light wa

now it caught his attention.

untouched o

ace, the steam long gone. Next to it lay a

ent, he d

eant fi

nfolding the paper with fing

I no longer rec

was

cusat

plana

dem

ne sen

est ti

he muttered, though the empt

been vague like that, always speaking in quiet words instead of di

the morning

face calm. Too calm. He had barely looked up from his phone when she pass

brushed

ed the bed

the closet w

n the unease

the scarves she loved, the sweaters he once borrowed during cold

't left

left p

hone

ough him - maybe it was her. Maybe

was his

ored t

dy to talk. N

s face with both hands. Images surfaced uninvit

pped asking whe

o longer wait

r had slowly faded

d not

adn't car

s bad," he said quietly, t

ept into his mind - one he had ne

stopped ch

one on a borrowed bed,

unfamiliar, but i

e had declined all of it, claiming exhaustion. In truth, s

ouldn't a

taken everyt

didn't wipe them away. She had cried enough in

he tears fel

they were f

pened a message she had type

g after you sto

elete

d to be delivered. Som

lowed herself to believe that maybe - j

was the b

didn't

quiet. No soft breathing beside him. No rustle of sheets. No murmured

thought silenc

tood how wron

t before daw

haled and forgotten how to breathe again. He walked into the b

hbrush w

aside. No

o

tling in his chest. He opened the cabinet beneath the sink. Her skincare bot

n everything

hing sh

he would already be awake, handing him coffee, reminding him about meeting

his ow

sted

ns drifted past him like noise. When his assistant asked if he w

m f

e easily. I

happened - something small, insignifica

hone

e from h

Please don't

red at th

a

harder than

ased the message,

e is

came min

She's needed it

w tigh

ac

s harmless. Like it didn't mean di

leaned back in his cha

returned home e

andered aimlessly, opening drawers, cupboards - not to

was

t seen before: a thin folder tucked behind

were do

lips. Counseling broc

peared agai

eart bega

e counseling brochures were dated months ago. He remembered

d lau

not tha

in his head, ug

e letters. They were handwritte

ow to ask you

ant to be

en though you

t like a quie

atic. She hadn't dem

had ign

f realization pressing down on him. Thi

cause of one argum

e she had already t

ept into his chest - real f

he didn't

tself in his mind, s

hing cars pass below. The world moved on, in

hone

lashed on

long moment... then tur

t

had to be l

ths had to b