It was the kind of afternoon where the house felt too quiet. Aria was sitting by the window, her fingers absently tracing the rim of a cup that had gone cold hours ago. The light filtering in felt more like an invitation than an illumination. A reminder that the world outside was moving, but she was still here, stuck in the in-between.
Eli was at a friend's house for a playdate, and Aria didn't know what to do with the time. It had been too long since she had a moment to herself, and yet, the silence felt like a weight. There was too much she had to process and not enough space to let it all out. She didn't even know where to begin.
A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
She wasn't expecting anyone. No one came to visit her like this. Her pulse quickened, an immediate sense of unease crawling under her skin. She stood up, walking slowly toward the door, half expecting to see Elias standing on the other side.
But it wasn't Elias.
It was Layla.
Aria blinked, surprised. "You're back early."
"I know, right?" Layla grinned, looking like she had just stepped out of a whirlwind. Her suitcase was slung over one shoulder, her sunglasses pushed back into her messy hair. "Jet lag's messing with my brain, so I thought I'd come and ruin yours."
Aria raised an eyebrow but stepped aside to let her in. "You can't be serious about this jet lag thing."
Layla shrugged as she walked in, tossing her bag on the couch. "Not serious, but I'm not sleeping." She gave Aria a pointed look. "So, what's going on? You've been quiet lately."
Aria bit her lip, not knowing how to respond. She hadn't expected to talk about it now, but there Layla was, looking at her with that unreadable expression she always wore when she knew something wasn't quite right. She couldn't hide from it. Not today.
"You know I don't do quiet very well," Aria said, glancing out the window.
Layla raised her eyebrows but didn't press further. Instead, she flopped onto the couch, crossing her legs. "Let's hear it, then."
Aria hesitated. The words weren't easy to find. She wanted to tell Layla everything—everything she'd been thinking about Elias, about herself, about the messy space they were both still occupying—but there was a part of her that was afraid to say it aloud.
"I'm stuck, Layla. I was stuck between what I thought I wanted and what voice cracked at the end, and she swallowed hard. "I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I don't know if it's even possible to go back to the way things were with Elias."
Layla nodded, her eyes softening. "You don't have to have it all figured out. Sometimes, you just need to let things unfold."
Aria shook her head, not sure if she could agree. "But we can't just keep moving in circles forever. I don't want to end up... staying in this place, always wondering if I made the wrong choice."
"Do you think going back would be the wrong choice?"
Aria looked away, her chest tightening. "I don't know. I don't know if I'm ready for that. It feels like too much, too soon, even if he's trying so hard. And I... I'm trying, too. But it's like we're both waiting for something to change, and I don't even know what I'm waiting for anymore."
"You don't have to have all the answers today," Layla said gently. "And I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself to make some perfect decision. Sometimes, you just have to take things one day at a time."
Aria rubbed her eyes, feeling the weight of it all. "But what if I'm not ready for that? What if I'm just pretending that I'm okay when I'm not?"
Layla looked at her with a steady gaze. "That's okay, too."
Aria didn't respond right away. She let the silence fill the space between them. Eventually, Layla broke the stillness with a quiet laugh. "You know, you've been the one helping me through all my mess, and now look at you. Stuck in your own."
Aria smiled faintly. "I think I've been avoiding this."
Layla gave her a knowing look. "You don't have to do it alone, Aria. You've got people who want to help you figure it out, even if you don't have the answers right now."
It was the simplest truth, but somehow, hearing it from Layla made it feel easier to breathe. "Thanks," Aria said softly.
By the time evening rolled around, Eli was home. He was in one of his usual hyperactive moods, showing Aria all the things he'd gotten from his friend's house—stickers, a new action figure, a drawing he was particularly proud of. His energy was infectious, and for a moment, Aria allowed herself to be swept up in it.
But as the night wore on, her mind began to wander again.
She knew Elias had been trying—there was no question about that. He had been showing up, being there for Eli, trying to show her that he was different. But it wasn't just about him, was it? It was about what she wanted. What she needed.
She reached for her phone, the same message she had been avoiding still sitting there in her drafts. She had started typing a few times already, but the words never seemed right. It wasn't a question of what she felt anymore. It was a question of whether or not she was willing to let herself trust again. Was she willing to open herself up to someone who had hurt her before?
She stared at the screen, and then, slowly, her fingers moved. She typed out the words:
I think we need to talk.
The message was short, but it carried the weight of everything she had been avoiding. She hit send before she could change her mind.
It didn't take long for the reply to come through.
Anytime. You know that.
Aria took a deep breath, setting the phone down. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but for the first time in a while, she wasn't running from the uncertainty. She was facing it head-on.
The next day, Elias showed up, right on time, as usual. Eli was with a neighbor, and Aria was standing by the window when he knocked.
She opened the door, and there he was. Still, the same man who had broken her heart, and yet... different. There was something about him that was more... solid now. More grounded. Maybe it was the way he was standing there, waiting for her to decide if they would move forward, or if they would remain stuck in the past.
"I got your message," he said, his voice quiet.
Aria stepped aside, letting him in. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't. She just let him follow her into the living room.
They stood there for a moment, neither one sure how to begin. Finally, Aria spoke.
"I don't want things to be the way they were," she said, her voice steady. "But I don't want to keep pretending either. I don't know what this is, Elias. I just know that I can't keep wondering what if."
Elias nodded, his eyes soft. "I don't want to pretend either. I'm not asking for everything. I'm asking for a chance."
"A chance," Aria repeated. "A chance at what?"
He stepped closer, his voice low. "A chance to show you I'm not the man I was. A chance for us to see if this... works. For Eli. For us."
Aria's heart beat faster, the uncertainty still heavy but no longer suffocating. She wasn't sure what would come next, but for the first time in a long time, she was willing to find out.
"I'll give you that chance," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
And with that, they stepped into the unknown together, not sure of the outcome, but knowing that they were both willing to try.