SHADOWS AND LIGHT

chapter 9:The first Step

Chapter 9: The First Step

Mira arrived at the small café ten minutes early. She wasn’t sure why she had rushed, but the idea of being late made her anxious. She stood in front of the entrance for a few moments, taking deep breaths, trying to calm the nervous flutter in her stomach.

When she finally walked inside, the warmth of the café wrapped around her like a comforting blanket. The smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries filled the air, and she felt a pang of something familiar — a feeling she had forgotten in the haze of her depression.

She spotted Sarah sitting by the window, her dark hair pulled back into a messy bun, her green eyes lighting up when she saw Mira approach.

“Hey,” Sarah said, her voice warm, almost too kind. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Mira smiled, though it felt like an effort. She slid into the seat across from Sarah, her hands nervously gripping the mug of coffee that had been placed in front of her.

For a moment, there was silence between them, not uncomfortable, but weighted with the unspoken understanding of the distance that had grown between them over the past few months.

“How have you been?” Sarah asked, her voice soft but sincere.

Mira took a deep breath. She hadn’t talked to anyone about her depression in such a long time. Even when people had asked, she had always brushed it off, telling them she was “fine.” But today, she felt different. It wasn’t easy, and the words came out in fits and starts, but she told Sarah about the way she had been feeling — about the emptiness, the isolation, the way everything seemed to lose meaning.

Sarah listened, never interrupting, her gaze steady, her expression kind. She didn’t try to offer solutions or advice, she just listened.

“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Mira whispered when she had finished. “I’ve been so distant... I didn’t mean to push you away.”

Sarah shook her head gently. “You don’t have to apologize. I get it. I’m just glad you’re here now. And I’m not going anywhere. I know it’s not easy, but I’m with you, okay?”

Mira looked up at her, her throat tight. It had been so long since she’d let anyone in, so long since she had felt cared for in this way.

“Thank you,” Mira murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

For the first time in a long time, Mira felt like she was being held in a way that didn’t demand anything from her. Sarah wasn’t asking her to fix herself, wasn’t pushing her to feel better. She was just there. And that made all the difference.

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