The weekend finally came.
Sunlight spilled through Amelia’s curtains in soft, golden streams, warming the room in a way that felt almost intentional, like the day itself had decided to be gentle with her. Outside, the distant hum of the city was lighter, slower, softened by the quiet rhythm of a Saturday morning.
And the birds.
She could actually hear them.
Clear. Bright. Alive.
Amelia stared up at the ceiling, wide awake.
She had been for a while.
Long before the sun fully rose.
Anticipation had done that.
It had crept in sometime during the early hours, pulling her out of sleep and refusing to let her go back. Now it sat in her chest, light but persistent, like something fluttering just beneath the surface.
Daniel.
Her lips curved slightly as the thought settled.
His message
