Chapter 20 — Light After Rain
The next morning dawned clear and gold. The rain had washed the city clean, and Elaris sparkled under the soft light. The sea breeze drifted through the streets, carrying the scent of salt and blooming jasmine. For the first time in days, Cathy felt the air breathe differently — lighter, calmer, as if the city itself had exhaled.
She arrived at the studio early, carrying two cups of coffee from the small café down the street. When Adrian came in moments later, she was already at her desk, her hair catching the sunlight like silk. He paused at the door, watching her for a moment, letting the sight of her ease something that had been restless inside him.
She looked up, smiled gently, and held out one of the cups. On the lid, in her careful handwriting, she had written one simple word: Peace.
Adrian took it from her and smiled, his eyes softening. “Is that what this is?”
She nodded. Then picked up her notebook and wrote, It can be, if we let it.
They sat together in the golden quiet, the city humming faintly beyond the window. Cathy began sketching again — her hand sure, her strokes full of life. This time, she drew not the bridge, not the rain, but the sunlight breaking through clouds. Beside it, she added two small figures sitting close, hands barely touching.
Adrian watched in silence, feeling the warmth of that image seep into him. He hadn’t realized how much he needed her stillness, her gentleness, her quiet way of making the world make sense again.
After a while, he spoke softly. “I need to go to my father’s estate tomorrow.”
Her pencil paused. She looked at him carefully, the light catching the faint worry in her eyes.
“I’m not going back to that life,” he continued. “But I need to face it. I need to end things properly, so it doesn’t follow me here. So it doesn’t touch you.”
She nodded slowly, her hand writing on the page. You don’t have to do it alone.
Adrian smiled faintly. “I know. But this is something I need to do first. For us.”
Her gaze lingered on him, quiet but full of faith. Then she turned the page of her sketchbook and wrote again, slower this time. I’ll wait. Just come back.
He reached across the table and touched her hand, his fingers brushing lightly against hers. “I will,” he said simply.
For the rest of the morning, they worked side by side. Cathy painted while Adrian made notes for his trip. The studio filled with light and the faint hum of life returning to normal — or something close to it.
Later that day, Luna stopped by, and her grin was immediate when she saw them. “Finally,” she said with a teasing smile. “The world feels right again.”
Cathy laughed soundlessly, signing something quick. Luna nodded and turned to Adrian. “She says, ‘don’t ruin it this time.’”
Adrian chuckled softly. “I’ll do my best.”
The hours passed gently. When the sun began to set, the city glowed with orange and rose light, spilling through the large window like a promise. Cathy stood beside him, watching the horizon, her hand resting lightly on the windowsill.
He looked at her — at the calm in her eyes, the quiet strength she carried — and felt something in him settle.
He leaned in slightly, close enough that his voice was almost a whisper. “You’ve changed the way I see silence.”
She turned to him, her smile small but deep. Then she wrote on a clean page, Silence isn’t empty. It’s where love learns to breathe.
Adrian read the words slowly, memorizing them.
Outside, the last traces of rain still shimmered on the street. The city was alive again, and somewhere within that hum, two hearts found their rhythm once more.
The light lingered long after the sun dipped beyond the sea, golden and soft — like the quiet promise of something still growing.
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