Winter's Farewell

🇨​​🇭​​🇦​​🇵​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​ 𝟐₂

The sound of soft rain tapping against the window glass had accompanied her all night. Claire had always loved gray days, but that Saturday morning, she woke up feeling a little more tired than usual. She lazily stretched in bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to the rhythmic drumming of the raindrops outside. She knew the day would be calm; she had nothing in particular planned, and sometimes that put her in a good mood.

She got up slowly, slipping on a sweatshirt before heading to the kitchen. A cup of freshly brewed coffee would be her first step to clear her mind. While waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, she glanced at her phone, checking notifications. No messages from Leevi, but she hadn't expected any. Lately, he had been more absent than usual, but Claire didn't dwell on it. He was probably caught up in one of his books or watching some tv show. Leevi being Leevi, she thought.

With the cup in hand, she settled by the living room window, watching the raindrops slide down the glass. She enjoyed this stillness, this moment when she could just let her thoughts wander. She had plans to meet Blair in the afternoon, which would be a nice break to go out and talk about unimportant things.

She sat on the couch for a long while, cup in hand, savoring the silence. Every now and then, her phone would vibrate with a social media notification, but nothing particularly caught her attention. Eventually, she decided it was time to move. The day was too beautiful to waste indoors.

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An hour later, Claire left her apartment without a clear plan. Despite the light rain, she decided to walk to the park. She liked wandering aimlessly sometimes, letting time pass without pressure. The park was practically empty, as she had expected. The leaves on the trees dripped with water, and the benches were wet, but Claire didn't mind.

As she walked, her mind began to drift. She remembered afternoons in that same park with Leevi, sitting on the benches, talking about all kinda of stuff or simply sharing the silence. Now that she thought about it, it had been a while since they'd done something like that. He's been busy, she told herself, though a small part of her wondered if something else was changing. But she quickly dismissed the thought. They couldn't always see each other all the time, and that was normal. Besides, she knew Leevi was the type who needed space, and she had never had a problem with that.

After a while, she decided it was time to head home and get ready to meet Blair later. The sky was still covered with clouds, but Claire liked that melancholic atmosphere.

Back in her apartment, Claire checked her phone again before heading to the shower. Nothing from Lee, but it wasn't something that worried her. He must be in his own world, she thought. Lately, she had noticed their conversations weren't as long as they used to be, and although it felt odd, it wasn't something that alarmed her. Maybe it was just a phase.

As she got ready, she sent a quick message to Blair to confirm the time of their meet-up. Five at the usual café, she thought with satisfaction. She needed to talk to someone and disconnect a little.

At exactly five o'clock, Claire walked into the café. Her friend was already there, as always, arriving a few minutes before the agreed time. She sat down across from her and ordered a caramel macchiato, her usual drink. Blair was immersed in her phone, but as soon as Claire sat down, she put it aside with a broad smile.

"Claire! Finally, we meet," Blair said, exaggerating her tone a bit. It was her way of speaking, always enthusiastic.

"Yeah, it was about time," Claire smiled, relieved to be there. Talking to her was always an easy and necessary escape.

Blair quickly launched into a fast-paced recount of her week, telling Claire about the chaos at work, a story about her boss, and something that had gone wrong at the office. Claire nodded and smiled at the appropriate moments, following the conversation with moderate interest. Sometimes, Claire energy was just what she needed to disconnect from her own thoughts.

"And you? How's everything going?" Blair asked suddenly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Good," Claire shrugged. "Nothing special. I've just been working and reading as usual."

"And Leevi? You haven't mentioned him in a while. Is everything okay with him?" She asked, giving her a curious nudge.

Claire looked up, thoughtful. The truth was, although Leevi was still part of her life, there hadn't been much to tell lately. But she wasn't too worried about it. She knew that he could disappear for days, only to come back like nothing had happened.

"He's fine, I think. He's been a bit... distant lately, but I guess that's just him," she laughed a little, playing down the situation.

Blair raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. She knew that Claire and Leevi had always had a peculiar relationship. Blair sometimes didn't understand how they could be so close yet maintain such a comfortable distance between them.

"Well, you know how he is," Her friend shrugged. "Don't worry. He'll probably show up when you least expect it."

Claire nodded, relieved to leave the topic behind. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about trivial things, from the latest TV drama to a new recipe Claire had tried the week before. And for a while, Claire forgot about everything else.

When she got home that night, she felt more relaxed. Sometimes, spending time with friends was exactly what she needed to clear her head. She made herself a cup of tea and settled on the couch with a book in hand. She was ready to dive into a story and let the day end in peace.

Her phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up without much urgency, thinking it was her friend blair. But it wasn't. It was Leevi. The message was short, as his usually were.

"What are you doing?"

Claire smiled. There he is, she thought. 

She quickly typed a response.

"Nth much just reading, u?"

The reply didn't come immediately, but Claire didn't worry. She knew that, sooner or later, he would answer. And for some reason, she felt calm. Maybe they didn't talk every day, but she knew that, in some way, they were always connected.

She stretched out on the couch, opening the book in her hands. The world of words welcomed her, and the noise of the day finally faded away.