Chapter 55: The Quiet That Follows

After the echoes settle, we wait in the hush.

The day marked, the heart remembered, and now there is only the space in between. A space where time slows—not because the world paused, but because I did.
It’s November. The leaves have fallen. The noise has faded. And in the silence, I listen.
I listen for the new home I’m moving into, for the peace I’ve been holding out for, for the version of myself that remains. I've come this far, patiently waiting yet for 2 more years.
Storm and I trace shadows through the half-lit hallway of what will be.
Whilst amidst the chaos, you are there in the quiet, in that soft presence that doesn’t demand explanation.
Viper and Oak, the old patterns still flicker—but I am less moved now. Less carried. Less waiting for someone else to save me.
Because survival is not just about holding on—it’s about gentle letting go.
Here in this hush, I choose to breathe. And to believe that the things I carry will root me, not weigh me.

The quiet that follows might just be the loudest truth I’ll ever hear.