Her breath

From no where she replied

"Aaw! Of course! Thank you!" she replied, glancing at her watch. It was 1:30 AM, and the rain continued to fall outside..

Her joints felt weak, but she managed to grab her handbag and step outside with a sense of determination. 

Questions swirled in her mind—why, how, when—each one more relentless than the last. She struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

Standing outside for nearly ten minutes, she felt adrift, with nowhere to go, especially in the pouring rain. It felt as if the world was conspiring against her, and she cursed her fate for being there that night.

In that moment, she focused on holding onto at least one thing that remained perfect: her breath. 

"Is it still warm?" she wondered, moving her palm closer to her mouth to exhale. 

"Haaa… Mmh, at least," she murmured, a small smile breaking through the gloom. Despite her circumstances, she reminded herself that she needed to get home safely.

With each passing minute, her heart ached as she imagined the new chapter of her life unfolding before her.

She spotted an umbrella left behind by James at the café and took it, hoping to catch a cab in the late hour. Although the streets were quiet, she clung to the hope of finding one.

As she walked, her phone vibrated insistently. She assumed it was her mother, but when she looked, she saw it was an unfamiliar number. 

The vibrations grew more frantic, but she couldn't bring herself to answer. Finally, she switched the phone off, trying to silence the noise in her mind.

After walking several blocks, she decided to book a room at a nearby hotel, hoping for some respite. But even that felt like a step into the unknown, making her day seem even more daunting.