The quiet moment

Previously

…Elise sat alone at the window, the last of her tea cold in the cup. Outside, the streetlights had flickered on, casting pools of orange on the wet pavement. She picked up her phone and saw her mother’s text still unanswered. She typed a reply: “Not yet. But maybe tomorrow. Love you.” She pressed send, then slid the phone into her pocket. For the first time in weeks, the quiet didn’t feel empty. It felt like a pause, a breath before something new. As she gathered her things and stepped out into the cool night air, she found herself already looking forward to tomorrow. The rain had stopped, and the stars were beginning to show, faint but persistent, through the clearing clouds.