Elena Moore stood by the window of her small but elegant apartment, arms folded, watching the rain trail lazy lines down the glass. The storm had rolled in without warning—much like Nathan's goodbye the week before.
She hadn't cried. Not then. Not even now. That, in itself, told her everything she needed to know. After three relationships, each ending more painfully than the last, there was no heartbreak left in her. Just a quiet, dull ache that had become all too familiar.
Her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. She glanced at it, already knowing who it would be.
Sophie – 10:17 AM: Brunch? My treat. And yes, mimosas will be involved.
Elena managed a smile. Her sister never did subtle.
She typed a quick reply: Be there in 20. Rain or shine.
Turning from the window, she reached for her coat. The apartment felt too quiet—too still. She didn't like the silence anymore. Not since she'd decided she was done with romantic love. Not since she chose herself.
Love had once felt like a promise—an escape from the loneliness she feared as a child. But now, at 34, it felt more like a gamble she was no longer willing to take. The stakes were too high. Her heart, too tired.
Outside, the city pulsed with life. Umbrellas bobbed along the sidewalk. Cars splashed through puddles. Elena moved through it all with the calm detachment of someone who had learned how to carry herself through storms, both literal and emotional.
Sophie was already waiting at their favorite spot—a cozy little café tucked on the corner of Main and Pine. She waved wildly when she spotted Elena, practically bouncing in her seat.
"You look... better than expected," Sophie said, pulling her into a hug. "I figured you'd show up in pajamas and sunglasses."
"I considered it," Elena said, sitting down and unwinding her scarf. "But I didn't want to scare the waitstaff."
Sophie tilted her head. "You're really okay?"
Elena paused, then nodded. "I am. I think this time, I'm really done."
Sophie's face softened. "With Nathan?"
"With all of it," Elena replied. "The dating, the hoping, the pretending to be someone I'm not just to make things work. I'm tired, Soph. I just want peace now."
The words came out clearer than she expected. Final. Freeing.
Sophie reached across the table and took her hand. "You know, choosing yourself isn't giving up. It's brave."
"I just want to feel whole again," Elena whispered. "Not waiting for someone to complete me. Not begging to be enough."
They sat in silence for a moment as the waitress brought over steaming mugs of coffee and fresh croissants.
"You know what's crazy?" Sophie said, grinning. "You sound more like yourself than you have in years."
Elena looked out the window, watching the rain ease into a light drizzle. For the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of something close to relief.
Maybe, just maybe, she was finally on the right path, or not.