The door closes behind him, and the sound lingers longer than it should.For a moment, I don’t move.The quiet settles in slowly, stretching across the room, filling the space he just left behind. I let out a slow breath and shift my grip on the handle of my bag before dragging it further into the living room.The wheels roll softly against the floor.I stop near the couch and glance around.Everything is exactly the way I left it.The small table by the window. The folded throw is resting on the arm of the chair. The faint layer of stillness that comes from a place being left alone for too long.Nothing is out of place.Nothing has changed.I bend slightly and unzip my bag, pushing it open before straightening again. For a second, I just stand there, looking at it.Then I turn away.One thing at a time.I move toward the windows first, reaching out to pull the curtains open. Light spills into the room, slow and steady, cutting through the quiet. Dust shifts faintly in the air, barely
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