As the clock struck midnight, Lorna's living room's gauzy curtains let in the moonlight. Outside, silence had descended upon the world. The silent dismantling of emotional barriers filled the air inside.
Michael sat with his elbows on his knees at the edge of the couch, staring off into space. Across from him, Lorna sat in the armchair with her legs tucked under her and a half-empty mug of chamomile tea in her hand.
It had been a few minutes since either had spoken. The silence wasn't awkward; rather, it was laden with introspection.
At last, Lorna said in a quiet voice, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."
In an honest tone, Michael answered, "I wasn't sure I'd come back." However, I couldn't get rid of the sensation that I had left something tangible behind.
She examined him, observing the weight he still carried and the vulnerability in his eyes. She remarked, "You didn't just walk away." "You took off running."
Without protesting, Michael nodded. "I felt terrified. I'm worried that what we had will break me, just like it did for Heather. I told myself that severing relationships was a self-defense tactic.
With a sorrowful smile tugging at her lips, Lorna remarked, "And I convinced myself I could forget you." "I didn't succeed."
He let out a small laugh. "Me too."
They exchanged long glances. Then they started talking, as if they were pulling back a curtain. Not only about Mason's legal petition or the message, but also about the past. their suffering. Their mutually vulnerable moments. A layer of armor was removed with each word.
"What kept you from telling me about Mason earlier?" Michael enquired.
Lorna muttered, "I didn't want to give him space in my new life." He's a part of my past that I've been trying to forget for years. And truthfully? I felt embarrassed.
Michael bent over. "You weren't worthy of what transpired. Not one bit of it.
"Now I understand," she muttered. "But I didn't believe it for a long time."
They conversed until after two o'clock. The tea was cold for a long time. The silence came back, not heavy this time, but softer, something unsaid, and Michael stood.
With her arms crossed over her chest, Lorna led him to the door. The silent distance between them throbbed with tension as he lingered, his hand on the doorknob.
She asked, "Do you think we would have made it if things had been different?"
He looked her in the eye. "No. Not in those days. I wasn't prepared.
"And now?"
He was honest when he said, "I don't know.But I'd like to know. One action at a time."
Heart racing, Lorna nodded. "A moment at a time."
The air felt lighter, hopeful even, after he was gone.
The romance had not been reignited. Not just yet. However, something had started to change once more.
There were broken walls. And neither of them wanted to rebuild them for the first time in a long time.