Chapter 61: Just Listen

The rain had stopped sometime before dawn, leaving the city slick and shining under the soft wash of streetlights. Amelia sat curled on the edge of her small sofa, the pale morning light creeping through the window, casting long shadows across the room. The apartment was quiet except for the distant hum of early traffic. She wrapped her hands tightly around a mug of tea — now cold — but the warmth it once held was more comfort than heat. Outside, the world moved on. People rushed by, their umbrellas bobbing like colorful beetles, oblivious to the turmoil lodged deep inside her chest. She felt disconnected, adrift in a sea of noise and silence all at once. Her phone vibrated suddenly on the coffee table, shattering the fragile stillness. She glanced down, heart fluttering for a moment bef