Winter's Farewell

🇨​​🇭​​🇦​​🇵​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​ 𝟑₃

Tuesday started like any other day. Claire woke up to her 7:00 a.m. alarm. The sun was beginning to peek through the curtains, and although the weather was still a bit chilly, it was a clear day. She stretched, yawning as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand to check her notifications. A few messages from the work group, one from Blair suggesting brunch over the weekend, and a message from her brother asking for help picking out a gift for their mom.

She got up, showered, and went through her morning routine: brewing coffee, turning on the tv, and gazing out the window while getting dressed for the day. Claire's life revolved around those little moments of calm that gave her balance. She loved the structure of her mornings, the quiet before the day began to speed up.

After breakfast, she headed to work. Claire worked as an assistant at a small local bookstore. It wasn't a glamorous job, but she loved being surrounded by books. The hours flew by between helping customers and organizing the shelves. Even though the store didn't get much foot traffic during the week, there was a sense of peace in the routine that Claire cherished. That day, the shop was particularly quiet. Only a couple of customers came in during the morning, and Claire took the opportunity to read a bit at the register.

It was nearly noon when her phone buzzed with a notification. Claire glanced at it absentmindedly, expecting a routine message, but when she saw Lee's name on the screen, she raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for him to call—he almost always preferred texting.

"What's up?" Claire answered, her tone friendly and light.

"Do you have plans today?" Leevi's usual tone carried a hint of urgency that Claire found unusual.

"No, nothing special. What's on your mind?"

"I'm going to stop by the store in a bit, if you're there," he said, not offering much detail, which wasn't surprising. Leevi was never big on explanations.

"Sure, I'll be here until five," she replied.

She didn't ask anything else. Claire knew that if Leevi wanted to tell her something, he'd do it when he arrived. Still, she found it a little odd that he called instead of just sending a message. Maybe he had something important to talk about, but Claire didn't dwell on it. I'll see him soon enough, she thought.

Leevi showed up a couple of hours later, just as he'd said. He walked into the bookstore wearing his usual gray jacket and a backpack slung over one shoulder. The sound of the door opening made Claire look up from the book she had been browsing. She watched him approach with his usual calm, though she noticed his face seemed a bit more serious than usual.

"Hey," he greeted, as if nothing were out of the ordinary, but Claire sensed something slightly different in his demeanor.

"Hey," she smiled. "Want some coffee? I just made a fresh pot."

Leevi nodded appreciatively, and Claire headed toward the small coffee maker in the back of the store. As she prepared two cups, she glanced at Leevi, who stood by the window, absently looking at the books on the shelves. It was a familiar scene between them, but the uneasiness Claire had been feeling in recent weeks crept back in.

"Everything okay?" she asked casually as she handed him one of the mugs.

Leevi looked at her, holding the mug between his hands. He hesitated before answering.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just needed to get out for a bit."

Claire looked at him but didn't push. She knew Leevi wasn't one to open up easily, and if he said everything was fine, it was best to leave it at that. It wasn't the first time they'd sat in silence while having coffee. Over the years, she'd learned that sometimes Leevi just needed company without the pressure of conversation.

They sat on the small sofa in the bookstore, each with their cup of coffee in hand. The place was quiet, no customers, just the distant sound of cars on the street and the soft chime of the door when someone walked past outside.

"I've been thinking about taking a few days for myself," Leevi said, breaking the silence unexpectedly.

Claire looked at him, slightly surprised. It was rare for Leevi to mention making plans that involved any kind of change to his routine. He had always been someone who thrived on routine, predictable in his love for books and movies, and Claire wasn't used to hearing that he planned to do something different.

"A few days for yourself? What do you mean?" she asked, trying to understand what he was getting at.

"I don't know... getting away for a bit. Going somewhere, being alone for a while," Leevi replied, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal.

Claire stayed quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in. It wasn't unusual for Leevi to need space, but something about the way he said it made her pause. Still, she didn't want to seem too concerned.

"That sounds good. Sometimes it's nice to disconnect," she replied casually. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"No, not really. Maybe go to the countryside or a small town. I'm still thinking about it."

"Well, wherever you decide to go, let me know if you need book recommendations," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Leevi smiled faintly but didn't respond. They sat in silence for a while longer, sipping their coffee and gazing at the books on the shelves.

Claire didn't want to read too much into it, but something told her that Leevi was in a different place. Even though she tried not to overthink it, the feeling that he was slowly changing lingered, though she couldn't quite put her finger on how.

"I'll let you know if I decide," Leevi stood up, glancing at his watch. "I should go. Just wanted to stop by and say hi."

"Sure," Claire said, though she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more behind his unexpected visit. "Let me know if you make any plans."

Leevi nodded, and with a quick wave, he was out the door. The chime of the bell echoed as the door closed, leaving Claire alone again in the bookstore's quiet. She stood for a moment, staring at the empty coffee cup Leevi had left on the table.

A few days for himself, she thought, repeating Leevi's words in her mind. She couldn't blame him. She had felt the need to disconnect before, too, but something about the way he'd said it left her with a small sense of unease. Still, she tried to ignore it. Maybe it was just a phase. Leevi always came back.

With a sigh, Claire returned to her work, trying not to dwell too much on what Leevi had said. Maybe he was right, and everything was fine. After all, that's how it had always been. Leevi moved at his own pace, and she respected that. It had always been that way.