—Mabel—
I slowed before the double doors and pushed them open.
The cool night air brushed against my skin as I stepped onto a lonely balcony. The scent of jasmine and white roses filled my nostrils.
I spotted a garden below.
Two swans floated silently across the pond, their white feathers glowing like porcelain under the moonlight. The male flared his wings, puffed out his chest, and dipped his head low in what looked like a choreographed routine toward the female.
At first, the female was unimpressed. She drifted away with graceful indifference. But he trailed her persistently, repeating the display as though he had all night to win her over.
Seconds passed, then she turned back towards him and touched her beak to his side. She fell into rhythm beside him, and they moved in elegant
