His POV
I didn’t mean to stay that long.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60Up3KQIfW
Just long enough for the song to finish.
But when the last note faded, she didn’t move. And neither did I.
There’s something unnerving about sitting face to face with someone whose voice you’ve only ever heard through glass. Her presence was quieter than I imagined. Or maybe more careful. Like if I said the wrong thing, she’d disappear back into her world and take the music with her.
“I used to play that song for someone,” she finally said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDZl6yNYU5
Her fingers wrapped around the coffee cup like it held something sacred.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSix8fULhew
“I haven’t played it since she left.”
I didn’t ask who. I didn’t need to.
“I didn’t mean to overhear it,” I said, watching the steam rise between us. “I just… kept listening.”
She nodded. Slowly. Like that made sense in a way words couldn’t explain.
Silence again. But this time, it felt less awkward. More like a pause before a new sentence.
“I’m…” she started, then stopped. “I feel like I should know your name. You’ve heard my worst humming.”
That made her smile. Not the forced kind. The real kind. Soft, tired, but honest.
I took a breath.
“Eli.”
Her eyes met mine. “Eli,” she repeated. “That fits.”
I chuckled. “Hope that’s a compliment.”
“It is.” She held out her hand. “I’m Mara.”
Mara.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4qbHDSlH0
Of course it was Mara.
It suited her. Beautiful in a quiet way. The kind of name you say in your mind before you say it out loud. Like a secret you’re still deciding whether to trust someone with.
We shook hands. A formality that felt strange, considering she’d already let me into her favorite song.
“I write,” I said, surprising myself.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qJQtGKQbo
“Novels?”
“Not really. Stories I never finish. About people I never meet.”
She tilted her head. “So what happens when you finally meet them?”
“I don’t know.” I looked at her. “You tell me.”
And there it was again—that stillness. That feeling like the world had taken one breath and was waiting to see what we’d do next.
She didn’t answer. But she didn’t leave either.
So maybe, that was enough.
For now.
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