The Art of Letting Go - ENGLOT

Chapter 24

Micah's POV:

I was waiting for the pasta to cook when I heard a knock on the door. Who could it be? I washed and dried my hands before going over to open it.

"Hi, can I help you?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I looked at the person standing in front of me. A woman I don't recognize.

"Hi, I'm Ensley," she said. "I'm a friend of Celestine's. Is she here?"

"Oh you just missed her." I replied, "She went out to buy milk."

She looked a bit disappointed and her shoulders dropped down a bit. "Oh, okay," she said with a smile. "Thanks for letting me know."

"I'm Micah, by the way," I said, extending my hand.

"Nice to meet you," Ensley said, her tone slightly uncertain. Just as Ensley started to say something else, footsteps approached, catching our attention.

I looked past her to see Celestine walking towards us, carrying a jug of milk. She seemed surprised to see Ensley standing there, and her question echoed my own curiosity. "Ensley? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Ensley replied, appearing to be flustered. "I wanted to talk about something."

"Oh." Celestine looked at me and then back at her, seeming a bit uneasy. "Is everything okay?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Ensley replied, brushing her off. "I just wanted to ask you something."

Celestine looked at me again, and I noticed a conflicted look in her eyes. But why? Uncertainty clouded my understanding, and I couldn't be certain of what was happening between them.

Sensing the tension, I stepped in and offered for Ensley to come inside, opening the door wider. "Well, why don't you come in?"

Ensley seemed hesitant, expressing discomfort, "I don't know if that's a good idea," she said.

I let out a chuckle, trying to ease her worries. "Don't worry, I won't bite," I said with a warm smile.

"I don't want to intrude." She replied, shifting in her place.

I smiled warmly. "Nonsense, You're a friend of my Celestine, I'd love to get to know you."

A look of hurt and bitterness flashed by Ensley's eyes and she averted her gaze from mine, choosing to look at Celestine instead. I watched them, dying to know what's going on.

After taking a deep breath, Celestine nodded her head and softly reassured Ensley "It's okay, Ensley, Come in. We'll talk."

Reluctantly, Ensley agreed, "Okay," she finally consented, stepping inside. "But just for a bit."

...

As we ate, I couldn't help but pick up on the tension in the air. I glanced between Ensley and Celestine, trying to assess what was going on. Something wasn't right, but I don't know why.

"So, Ensley," I broke the silence. "how do you like it? It's my specialty, Celestine said she missed my cooking."

Ensley's eyes flickered up to meet mine for a moment, but quickly darted away. She seemed uncomfortable, pushing her pasta around her plate.

"It's great," Ensley forced a smile, her tone lacking enthusiasm. "Really delicious."

Meanwhile, Celestine picked at her food, barely touching it. I couldn't ignore her lack of appetite and offered her more wine, growing more confused at her sudden quietness.

"So how'd you two meet?" I asked, glancing between Ensley and Celestine. "I'm sure I've never met you before, right Ensley?" I added, trying to subtly probe their relationship.