The room felt different after Jeffery left.
Not empty.
Just… quiet.
Tiana stood in the middle of it for a moment.
Listening.
No voice.
No laughter.
No distractions.
Just her.
She exhaled slowly and looked around.
The plates were still on the table.
Half-eaten food.
A glass of water she hadn't touched again.
Normally, she would leave it.
Come back later.
Or not at all.
But this time—
She picked them up.
One by one.
Walked to the sink.
Turned on the tap.
The sound of running water filled the space.
Soft.
Steady.
She washed the plate slowly.
Not rushing.
Not overthinking.
Just… doing it.
It felt small.
But it wasn't.
When she finished, she dried her hands and leaned lightly against the counter.
Silence again.
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced at it.
A message.
Her chest tightened—just slightly.
Not panic.
Not hope.
Just… instinct.
She picked it up.
A random notification.
Not him.
She stared at the screen for a second longer than necessary.
Then placed it face down.
That part was new.
Before, she would have checked again.
Refreshed.
Waited.
Now—
She let it be.
Tiana walked back into the room and sat down.
Her eyes fell on the spot where Jeffery had been sitting.
"You're becoming dangerous."
She let out a small breath.
"Or maybe I'm just tired," she murmured.
The words didn't feel heavy anymore.
Just… true.
She leaned back into the chair.
Letting the quiet settle around her.
And for once—
It didn't feel like something was missing.
It felt like space.
Unfamiliar.
But not uncomfortable.
Her gaze drifted to the window.
The sky was changing.
Soft shades of orange and blue stretching across it.
She watched it for a while.
Longer than she usually would.
There was a time she would have picked up her phone.
Told someone.
Sent a picture.
Now—
She just looked.
And that was enough.
Tiana stood up slowly and walked to the mirror.
She stopped in front of it.
Studying her reflection.
No tears.
No forced strength.
Just her.
Unfiltered.
She tilted her head slightly.
"You look… okay," she said quietly.
Not beautiful.
Not broken.
Just…
Okay.
And strangely—
That felt like progress.
She reached up and adjusted her hair absentmindedly.
Then paused.
A thought crossed her mind.
Not about Jones.
About herself.
"What do I even like anymore?"
The question lingered.
She frowned slightly.
Because for a second—
She didn't have an answer.
And that…
That bothered her.
Not in a painful way.
In a waking-up kind of way.
Tiana stepped back from the mirror.
"Okay," she said softly.
Not to anyone.
Just to herself.
"Let's find out."
It wasn't a big decision.
No dramatic music.
No sudden transformation.
Just a quiet shift.
But it was the first time in a long time—
She was moving toward something.
Not waiting.
Not hoping.
Just… moving.
She picked up her phone again.
Scrolled.
Paused.
Then searched something random.
Something that had nothing to do with him.
And for the first time—
That felt intentional.
The room was still quiet.
But now—
It didn't feel like silence.
It felt like peace.