The ride home felt different. The cold wind was still sharp, but the fear that usually gripped my chest felt lighter, replaced by a strange, buzzing energy. For the first time in weeks, the road didn't feel like an enemy; it was just a path leading me back.
When I pulled into the driveway, the house was no longer silent. Light spilled from the kitchen window, casting a warm, amber glow onto the frost-covered grass.
"I'm back!" I called out as I kicked off my sandal.
Grandma was at the stove, stirring a pot of soup. She looked up, her eyes crinkling behind her glasses.
"You're late, Elena. And you look... bright."
"Just because"
I went to my room and sat on the edge of my bed. The silence didn't feel heavy anymore; it felt like an invitation. I opened my contacts list again. There were so many names I had buried under a layer of
"I'll do it tomorrow."
My thumb hovered over a chat that had been muted for weeks. My heart did that familiar nervous dance, but this time, I didn't let it stop me. I typed a simple message:
"Hey. Sorry I've been away for a bit."
I hit send before I could overthink it.
I walked back to the mirror—the same one I had looked into this morning with such dread.
"Look ame"
" My hair is messy from the helmet, and my nose is red from the cold"
I whispered.
This time, I finished the sentence.
"I'm doing okay."
"I hope you're not lonely over there," I whispered into the quiet of my room.
It was a heavy thought, but a truthful one.
"But the truth is... I don't want to go back to how things were. I don't want to return to that place."
I took a shaky breath, feeling the weight of the past finally….. begin to shift.
"I'm finally moving on, and it's all because of you. I guess."