Glaciated in place...
In the middle of a busy street, voices and footsteps blurred into a restless hum, but Sarah felt none of it. Everything around her faded the moment her eyes locked with his. Leeore stood across the crowd, just a few steps away yet impossibly distant, like time itself had decided to pause between them.
Sarah stood glaciated in place, breath caught in her chest, as if the world had tightened its grip around her. Leeore met her gaze, and for a few suspended seconds, neither of them moved. No greeting, no warning, no words found their way out. Just recognition. Shock. Memory rushing back like a tide neither had prepared for.
The noise of the street carried on, but inside that still moment, it felt like the universe had gone quiet just for them.
In the middle of a crowded street, Sarah stood frozen as her eyes locked with Leeore’s. The noise around them kept moving like nothing had changed, but for her, everything had.
Leeore broke the silence first. A small, careful smile formed on his face as he raised a hand slightly. “Sarah… hey.”
The sound of her name pulled her back. Sarah swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe again. Her fingers tightened at her side as she tried to steady her voice.
“Hi… Leeore,” she replied nervously, her words quieter than she intended.
For a moment, neither of them knew what to do next. The years between them felt heavier than the distance of the street, hanging in the air like something neither could ignore anymore. Leeore wanted to stay a little longer. He shifted his weight slightly, like he was trying to find the right words that wouldn’t scare the moment away.
“Are you working around here?” he asked gently. “It’s been a long time. How have you been?”
Sarah’s throat tightened. She nodded too quickly, then forced a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Yeah… I’m okay. Busy with work,” she said. “How about you?”
Leeore exhaled softly, almost relieved to hear her voice still sounded familiar. “Same. Still trying to figure things out, I guess. Life didn’t really slow down for me either.”
A pause stretched between them again, not as sharp as before, but heavy enough to press on Sarah’s chest. She could feel herself slipping into something she wasn’t ready to face.
“I should probably go,” she suddenly said, glancing past him as if searching for an invisible clock. She adjusted her bag strap, forcing urgency into her movements.
Leeore blinked, caught off guard. “Oh… right. Yeah, of course.”
Sarah gave a small, apologetic smile, stepping back slightly as if the ground beneath her was pulling her away. “Sorry, I’m actually running late.”
It wasn’t true. Not even close.
But it was easier than standing there another second, trapped in a conversation that felt like it could reopen everything she had spent years trying to keep closed.
