A month had passed by smoothly. She got an apartment in Stratford, almost scoffing at the cost, but she knew it was the price she had to pay to get what she dreamed of since she was little . Her bedroom window overlooked the city, giving her a nice view of the towers in the distance. Every morning when Sarah woke up, she stared down at the city streets. People flocked together, lending each other a hand.
Community seemed to run through the city, and where ever she looked, Sarah only saw light, whereas she used to see darkness.
No matter how happy she was becoming, she never forgot about her children. Sometimes the long nights felt unbearable; with her tossing and turning every time her dreams warped into hellish nightmares, she felt as though she was rarely getting any good sleep. During the days she'd examine herself, noticing how she was finally able to fill out her body. The scarring and bruises were still there- though faded; that familiar ache in her body was still present. Sarah was impatient to get those marks off her mind and body; hoping that the evidence of her cage would soon disappear.
Sarah, albeit stressed, was beginning to see a point in her life, and started to look forward to the next moment. She felt free, now 30 years old, feeling like she was fresh out of college, just how she wanted it to go. As the weeks went on, Sarah found herself forgiving the grueling process and just being grateful she got the point she was always striving for.
One day, in late November, the wind was howling, the first snow being a week before. The temperatures were cold enough to keep the snow on the sidewalks; slush was created and the smallest slipping incidents were starting to become more frequent.
Sarah walked down the street, her eyes glossing over the fronts of cafes. They all looked so cozy inside, it made her shiver as the wind picked up, whistling past her ears and nipping at her cheeks. When she laid eyes on her rather favorite cafe, she rushed inside.
She removed her scarf, glancing around. There were people studying, others just simply enjoying the warm cup of cocoa or coffee. It almost felt like a fever dream as she got in line. It was considerably long, leaving her time to glance around the environment.
As she did, her eyes scanned faces, a habit she picked up from trying to learn her colleagues names. Eventually, she fell on some slumped shoulders. It was a man, a skinny one at best. Though, he was well dressed, a turtle neck covering his lanky body, he didn't carry the demeanor of his facade; he was hunched over his computer and book, long slender fingers tracking the words. Sarah examined him more, watching as he reached out to his cup, only to set it right back down when he realized it was empty.
She continued to stare, taking in the smallest of features. His shoe was tapping slightly, and his leg was bouncing with a rhythm too fast for Sarah to count. He sat near the window, the cold white light illuminating the face she couldn't see. It was only then did she notice the figure.
Sarah froze right in place, her eyes staring at his wide shoulders and dark hair. A pencil twirled in between his long fingers. She could practically feel the exhaustion and frustration radiating off of his hunched figure. Sarah could feel it in her own body, the empathy hitting her hard; he looked exhausted.
Sarah squinted, reading the order that was on the side of his cup. She noticed that he only drank coffee with one small sprinkle of sugar. Sarah tried to keep her breathing level as she ordered her drink and a replacement for his.
As she waited, she kept an eye on him, staring at him keenly as if she were afraid he'd get up and leave. The thought was starting to cause her distress, and she tried to calm herself down. By the time the two coffees were delivered, she was debating on just getting her coffee and leaving, but there was something about the situation that was driving her to do things she would usually never do.
YOU ARE READING
The Grean Household
Romance"It was a mistake..." She told her mother, folding her hands into each other. "Marrying him..." Her mother said nothing, she simply sat there as her only daughter stood across from her, on the verge of collapsing from bruised ribs and cracked shins...
