When Love Falls Silent

Liam

Instead of waiting in front of her office, I had a better idea: wait for her at her café. It wasn't exactly her house, but rather the café she owned. So, there I was, perched in a corner of her café, my eyes glued to the staircase that led up to her living quarters.

I ordered two cups of coffee, one for me and the other for Grace. My anticipation grew with every passing minute as I sipped my coffee. Finally, the wait was over when I saw her coming down the stairs, locking the door behind her. She didn't notice me right away, but as she descended and reached the last step, our eyes met. A warm smile spread across her face, and she began walking toward me. I stood up from my chair.

"You're pretty good at giving me surprises, Liam," she remarked, her eyes focused on me as we stood close together. I chuckled. "Do you like them or not?" "Hell yes," she replied with enthusiasm, grabbing a cup of coffee. "This one's mine, right?" I reached for my own coffee. "Hell yes." We both shared a laugh and made our way to the exit. I held the door open for her, and she stepped outside. As we walked together down the empty road, flanked by houses on either side, the surroundings were serene and quiet. "You seem livelier, or at least that's what I see now," Grace observed in a polite manner. I looked at her, intrigued. "How do you know? You never noticed me that much. I tend to be lively around people I like." She took a sip of her coffee and turned her gaze toward me. "You like me?"

The directness of her question caught me off guard, but I understood her teasing nature. Grace had an extroverted personality and often enjoyed playful banter. Still, her question made my heart skip a beat. She chuckled, not waiting for me to answer. "Did you ever contact Daniel after university?" I asked, wanting to learn more about her life. She took another sip of her coffee before responding, her voice tinged with a hint of disappointment. "Yeah, for a while. But when I left for my Master's, I lost his contact, and we eventually lost touch. I haven't heard from him since then." I sensed a touch of nostalgia in her voice. Grace must have missed Daniel, their four-year friendship filled with laughter and fun. Their sudden disconnection, from being close friends to losing contact, was undoubtedly a difficult transition, and I empathized with her. "What about you?" Grace asked while I was still processing her account of losing contact with Daniel. "I was not as outgoing, as you know," I replied, "so I pretty much have just one friend who's stayed in touch." "I bet it would be William," she said, almost cutting me off. "Yeah, it's William," I confirmed, not feeling the need to argue because she was absolutely right. William had been my steadfast companion for years.

I found it surprising that Grace had some knowledge of my life and the people in it. It made me happy to realize that she had noticed bits and pieces about me during our time at university. Though it might not have been much, the fact that she remembered even small details warmed my heart.

"You changed a lot during the last year of university," I uttered without thinking, and the moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them instantly. It was clear from the change in Grace's demeanor that I had touched upon something sensitive. Her face grew unusually serious, and she slowed her already leisurely pace until it seemed like she was dragging herself along the road. She kept her gaze fixed firmly on the ground, avoiding eye contact with me entirely. I felt a deep sense of embarrassment for what I had just said. It was as if I had opened a Pandora's Box of emotions that I had no business tampering with. I knew that something significant must have happened to her during her final year of university, and my thoughtless remark had brought it all back to the surface.

As we made a turn onto the busiest street, the cacophony of the city surrounded us, and conversation between us dwindled. The sidewalks were filled with people rushing to work, lost in their own thoughts and routines. When we reached the office building, none of us spoke a word. We entered the elevator, the silence continuing between us.