Clara
The dinner ends in a calmer way than it began. The words we said were left floating somewhere between us... but they no longer weigh in the same way.
Ethan pours some more wine into my glass.
"Come," he says after a moment. "I want to show you something."
I raise an eyebrow, curious, but I follow him. We cross the room and exit through the doors that lead to the garden. The cool night air immediately envelops me, and when my feet step on the grass... Something inside me stops.
I look around, the garden. For a few seconds I just watch, soft lights illuminating the stone paths.
The plants, the flowers. The little corner where I always used to sit.
"I haven't set foot in this place in a long time," he murmured.
My voice comes out softer than I expected.
I walk slowly, Ethan goe
