ll anyone abo

rself-not in words. Some things neede

rb whatever fragile shift had taken place. She returned to her routine: early mornings, long ho

everyt

sh herself. She wasn't rehearsing arguments that would never happe

didn't

iced th

ely, she r

, a message appea

to let you know I heard what you said. I'

sure. N

pre

creen for a long ti

for not

ame almost

patience is also

nce stayed

ter unfolded-short messages, exchanged without urgency. So

when work ov

when she fe

nything. They didn'

d never mastered before: letting the

under a sky heavy with clouds, s

afraid of h

d of losi

d of bein

mean trust

asn't a

built slowly, with

at structure r

ouse that held too many memories. It was i

al gr

, hands wrapped around warm cup

thinking,

d, then stopped himsel

iled f

ow things were," she said. "E

," he said with

"that I can grow without being

learn how to need someone witho

with th

n't ro

as r

st time, that f

steady. The world moved on, unaware of the qui

't reconc

as gro

e or forward to something new,

ond chance, it wou

be a be

e came lat

rom E

unfamili

r me. This is Claire. We ne

t with something older. The instinct to r

t reply i

phone down and forc

she reminded herself

ter, she t

u want to

ly came

ght you should hear it

ai

t never fully understood either. A colleague. A confidan

ulse was to m

opped

she d

she ask

t w

osed h

ent she would have swallowed questions, smiled through d

she chose d

rning, she

ing. Not

hon

" she said when they met for a walk late

for a second-b

. "I was going

" she

"I didn't want you to he

ace, searching fo

were

he to you?

answer i

g-but because he was cho

now how to lean on you," he said finally. "N

haled

the truth," she said. "Eve

hat's the agr

said. "And

et hi

reassure me," she said. "I'm asking you to be con

o that,"

eliev

mean fear

longer controlled

strange calm she felt. The past version of herself would have

eren't about era

onding to new moment

ld work or not r

e wasn't measuring her wor

elf-while allowing sp

ized, was the quie