The house felt still that morning. I lingered by the window, staring out at the faint frost that had settled on the edges of the glass, and I thought about how silence sometimes speaks louder than words. Julian was already gone for a meeting, leaving behind only the warmth of coffee he had made for me.

I wrapped my hands around the mug and let the steam brush my face. It was not just a morning like any other; there was a sense of something forming in me, something that I had been carrying ...