Eloise stood there for a long time, frozen in place. Her fingers were curled loosely around the doorknob, she whispered to herself, barely audible, “Come on, and just... move.”
But her body didn’t listen. Only after what felt like an eternity did she finally open the door. Her knees bent stiffly as she picked up the takeout bag that had been sitting outside. The food had lost most of its warmth. “Mandy… thank you,” she murmured, even though the hallway was empty, and her voice bounced off the walls like a forgotten ghost.
The weight of silence pressed into her as she stepped back inside. The door clicked shut.
Time slipped away without meaning. She glanced out of the window and saw dusk bleeding across the sky. Her hand hovered over her phone. No messages. No missed calls. Not even from
