A start of something new
She had spent the whole afternoon smiling at the right moments without really feeling much of anything. That had become her way lately. Not sadness exactly. Not happiness either. Just a quiet drifting through days without expecting too much from them. Her studies were finally over. The endless deadlines, exams, submissions — all done. Everyone around her seemed excited for what came next. She only felt still. So when her friends insisted on a beach trip before everyone’s lives became “too busy,” she agreed simply because it was easier to say yes than no. A quiet beach house. Late dinners. Salt in their hair. Sleep. Nothing more. One evening they insisted on taking a walk along the shore before dinner. Suddenly one of them complained she forgot her shawl. Another suddenly needed to answer a call. With excuses, slowly all left. She shook her head and kept walking alone. The beach stretched endlessly under the night sky. Waves rolled in softly, silver beneath the moonlight. ...