SMALL STEPS TOWARD A NEW LIFE
A few days after what happened at the park, and after the emotional breakdown Alma went through, the atmosphere inside her house began to shift, little by little. Not suddenly brighter, not free from weight, but there was a new kind of space that felt lighter somehow. She started opening the windows wider. The curtains in the living room no longer blocked the sunlight all day. Even the small cactus she had left to wither in the corner of the kitchen was now watered every two days. These changes might have gone unnoticed by others, but to Alma, they felt like small steps out of a dark room she had lived in for far too long. One morning, Alma sat on the terrace, sipping warm tea, not coffee, as she usually did. She was beginning to feel that life did not always have to follow old patterns. Not every routine needed to be preserved. Some things could be changed. And maybe, that was okay. Bima, as always, was the first to notice her sitting outside. “Auntie! Auntie’s up early!” he shou...
