The carriage rocked gently as it made its way through the city streets, the setting sun painting the sky in soft shades of orange and purple. The tense energy of the tea shop had faded, leaving a quiet, weary atmosphere in its place.
"I'm sorry about today," Eric said, breaking the silence. He had been staring out the window, but now his gaze was on her, his expression full of sincere regret. "I should have anticipated my mother would do something like that. I should have stopped it before it began."
"Don't mention it," Delia replied, offering him a small, tired smile. She looked at him more closely. There were faint, dark circles under his eyes, and the usual sharp energy he carried was muted. "You look kind of tired," she observed, her voice soft with concern.
"I couldn't sleep last night," he admitted with a sigh.
"Why?" Delia asked.