Chapter 19: Restless
The first two days were glorious. Cielle reveled in the simple pleasure of waking up without an alarm, stretching out across her bed like a cat, and rolling over to sleep some more just because she could. She ate whenever she wanted, stayed in her pajamas all day, and spent hours watching dramas—getting far too emotionally invested in fictional characters.
By the third day, the novelty started to wear off.
She found herself pacing around her apartment, picking up objects only to put them back down. She rearranged her bookshelves, then moved them back the way they were. When she tried to binge another series, she couldn’t focus. Everything felt too slow. Too quiet.
By the fourth day, she started talking to herself just to break the silence.
By the fifth, she was se
