Salome’s POV
"Take this and don't look back," Clementine said, pressing a warm mug into my palms.
The ceramic heat seeped into my skin, a sharp contrast to the chill of the early morning. My suitcase stood by the door, a silent monument to my failed marriage. The wheels had made a lonely, hollow sound against the floorboards as I dragged it through the apartment.
Clementine didn't let go of me. She pulled me into a hug that smelled like home and laundry detergent. Her voice was a steady anchor in the storm of my thoughts. She told me to go, to find some air, and to leave the heavy lifting to her. By the time I returned, she promised, the divorce papers would be waiting for my signature.
I couldn't find the words to thank her. I just leaned into her shoulder and nodded. The weight of th
