The door closed quietly, almost soundlessly.
Kiana remained standing in the entryway, staring at the closed door.
Inside she felt empty.
Not pain, not sadness—just emptiness.
Like after a long illness when the fever has broken and only weakness remains.
She went back to the kitchen and sat by the window.
Outside, the wind was rustling, chasing gray clouds across the sky.
The day promised to be gloomy.
Kiana pulled out her phone and texted Shauna.
Changed my mind. Not coming over. Everything sorted itself out.
The reply came almost immediately.
Are you okay?
I’m great.
She put her phone away and looked out the window.
Life was going on.
People rushed to work.
Buses rattled at the stops.
Children laughed somewhere in the distance.
An ordinary day.
The first day of her new life.
Kiana smiled faintly, but genuinely.
The next morning after Darius left was surprisingly quiet.
Kiana woke up late, around ten, and immediately felt an unfamiliar lightness.
The apartment was empty.
The silence was so thick she could hear the pigeons cooing on the windowsill outside.
She got up and walked through the rooms.
