The soft hum of the heater filled the room. It was one of those slow evenings, the kind that stretched lazily across the clock. Outside, a faint drizzle tapped gently against the windowpane. Inside, Katherine and Carol sat barefoot on the living room rug, half-sunk into a pile of cushions with two mugs of tea between them and an open container of biscotti that was already half gone.
Katherine was in her softest hoodie, her hair tied in a messy bun. Carol wore pajama shorts and an oversized T-shirt that said Mondays are for Chocolate. It had been a quiet day at The Quiet Brew—the kind of rainy Wednesday where only the regulars showed up, grateful for the calm. They’d closed shop early and carried their leftover pastries home in brown paper bags.
“I can’t believe you told Mrs. Norwood we w
