Candid-v3 -

Her coffee had gone cold twenty minutes ago. She wasn’t drinking it. She was holding it, both hands wrapped around the ceramic like it was a tiny life raft.

“No,” she said. “But you get better at carrying it.” candid-v3

The rain didn’t bother Lena anymore. It just made the city sound like it was thinking. Her coffee had gone cold twenty minutes ago

“Is this seat taken?”

“No,” Lena said. “Go ahead.”

Lena didn’t say “Are you okay?” because they both knew the answer. candid-v3

Lena took a long breath. The kind that fills your lungs all the way to the bottom.