Goodbye to You All
Neither of them acknowledged it aloud, but it was there—a delicate balance, teetering somewhere between friendship and something more.
Sometimes, that in-between space was the safest place to be.
Because once words were spoken, there was no turning back.
Life continued on, as it always did.
That Monday, the start of a new week, Jessica felt stable enough to go to work. She dressed carefully, as if preparing for battle, then stepped outside.
She hadn't expected to see her parents waiting for her downstairs.
They looked different. Older. More worn down by time. Her mother, especially—silver strands now clearly visible against her temples, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes deepening.