That’s when I decided to visit the one person I had been avoiding—the one person who might have some answers.
I didn’t know what to expect when I knocked on the door of my old friend, Claire. We had been close once, back when everything in my life seemed simple. Before Ryan, before the divorce, before my world had shattered. Claire had always been the pragmatic one, the friend who kept a level head when things got messy. I needed her now, more than ever.
When she opened the door, she looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to place me. It had been years since we had seen each other, but the recognition was immediate. Her face softened, and she stepped aside to let me in without saying a word.
The apartment was warm, familiar in a way I hadn’t expected. The smell of coffee and something baking filled the air, and for a brief moment, I felt like I had stumbled back into a life that was mine, before everything changed.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Claire said, her voice low, almost hesitant. “I thought… well, I thought you had everything under control.”