Chapter One
A quiet moment… until her body remembered.
At 48, Ana has given everything to everyone. In a lakeside town far from her routines, she finds something she thought was gone.
She Forgot Herself – Soft
The rain tapped gently against the kitchen window, a soft percussion to the stillness that wrapped around Ana like an old cardigan. The guesthouse was quiet, too quiet… Her tea had gone cold. The wine she’d poured sat untouched on the counter, the same dusky shade as the blouse she hadn’t changed out of all day. Outside, spring struggled to announce itself, a blur of gray and green.
Her phone buzzed. She almost didn’t check it.
Almost.
It was Clara. Of course. Clara never forgot the important days, even when Ana tried to pretend they weren’t. “Thinking of you. Don’t go numb on me, sunshine.” The old nickname tugged something loose in her chest.
Ana closed her eyes.
Sunshine.
No one called her that anymore. No one looked at her like she could still light up a room. Lately, she didn’t even light up her own life. Everything had become… maintenance. Meals, bills, polite conversations. Even her reflection had softened at the edges, like a photo left too long in the sun.
She stepped back from the window, arms wrapped around herself. In the kitchen’s dim light, she caught her silhouette in the glass. Not quite sad. Not quite alive.
Something stirred.
Not a decision. Not yet.
But she replied: “Miss you too. How are you?”
The dots appeared almost instantly. Then: “Actually in town for the weekend. Come see me at Eduardo’s café tomorrow?”
Ana’s fingers hovered. Eduardo’s. That old café with the crooked floorboards and the little garden in the back. She hadn’t stepped inside in years.
Why not, she thought.
What else am I doing?
The next morning, she stood in front of her wardrobe longer than she meant to. Her hand paused on the soft navy jumper she always wore when she didn’t want to be noticed. But something about today made her reach for the sun dress instead.
It felt silly, at first.
Too floaty. Too… visible.
But she wore it anyway.
The café was exactly as she remembered, maybe even better. Eduardo greeted her with open arms and a teasing smile. Clara was radiant, as always, full of stories and warmth. But it wasn’t them that shifted everything.
It was him.
He was at the back table. A quiet presence, reading something on thick paper, hair well groomed.
Not striking, not flashy. But still, something about the way he held himself. Like he didn’t need the world to look at him to know who he was.
And when he looked up briefly, just a glance. It felt like time… paused.
Ana looked away first.
Clara was talking about something… her new dog, or her neighbor’s affair… but Ana couldn’t hear a word. Her pulse had quickened, absurdly. She focused on the steam curling from her coffee.
She stole another look. He wasn’t looking anymore.
Relief. And something else.
Disappointment?
“I see that look,” Clara whispered, grinning.
Ana rolled her eyes. “What look?”
“That look you used to get when someone surprised you.”
“I don’t even know him.”
“You don’t have to. Surprise doesn’t need a resume.”
Ana laughed, but inside… she wondered. About the flicker. About the part of her that hadn’t stirred in so long.
And when she stood to leave, brushing past his table on her way out, he looked up again.
This time, she didn’t look away.
She remembered the way he looked at her… but it wasn’t his gaze that changed her. It was finally seeing herself again.
🌸 This was the Soft version. Curious how it feels with more heat? Read Chapter One — Bold →