Silent Notes

Chapter Six: The Quiet What-Ifs

As dusk fell, a quiet unease settled into Nastasia's heart. The thought she dreaded kept creeping into her mind: What if, one day, an invitation arrived in the mail—a wedding invitation, with Asher's name printed neatly at the top next to someone else's? It would be the day she feared most, the day that marked the end of a possibility that had barely begun.

The image haunted her. She could picture herself there, sitting in a row of well-wishers, forcing a smile while watching him promise his life to another. She wouldn't be jealous of the bride, no. That wasn't the kind of pain she feared. Instead, it was the quiet, gnawing sadness of knowing that she'd never given herself the chance to try.

Could she handle it? Watching him love someone else, knowing that she never spoke up, never took the chance when it was there? She knew she would smile, pretend everything was fine, and push through the day with the same grace she always did. But the weight of what might have been would cling to her like a shadow.

The future seemed so far off, yet each day brought her closer to that moment of reckoning. She wasn't in her late twenties yet—she had time. But time could be cruel, slipping away before you realize it, leaving behind nothing but regrets and faded hopes.

Would she always wonder what might have happened if she had just spoken up? If she had allowed herself to be vulnerable, to let the truth out, even if it meant risking everything? Or would she continue to hide behind the safety of silence, hoping that someday, things might magically fall into place without her having to make the first move?

The sadness wasn't overwhelming, but it was there—a steady ache that pulsed in the background of her thoughts. She didn't want to live her life regretting what she hadn't done, but she wasn't sure she was brave enough to change that. It was frustrating, maddening even. She was so young, so unsure, but at the same time, she didn't want to look back on these years and wonder why she let her fear win.

Sitting by her window, Nastasia stared out at the horizon, the twilight sky fading into darkness. She had always told herself there was time—time to figure things out, time to wait for the right moment. But what if she was wrong? What if she woke up one day and realized she had run out of time altogether?

The thought was unbearable. The future, once full of hope, now seemed clouded with uncertainty. The idea of losing him—not to another girl, but to the simple passage of time—terrified her more than she could admit.

But for now, all she could do was wait, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she might never have the courage to act.