Once and After

Chapter One

Rain tapped steadily against the glass, a gentle percussion that filled the small apartment with quiet music. Emery sat curled on the window seat, her knees drawn up beneath the soft cotton of faded pajamas, the hem brushing her ankles. The wavy braid of her dark brown hair draped over her shoulder, loose strands escaping to frame her thoughtful face. She pressed her cheek to her knees, feeling the coolness of the windowpane through the sleeve of her pajama top.

Outside, the world was washed in gray—rooftops blurred, streetlights haloed in mist, and the steady rain traced silver rivers down the glass. Each drop that touched the window seemed to echo the ache in her chest, a reminder of the love she'd lost and the life she hadn't been able to leave behind.

Emery's fingers absently found the engagement ring on her left hand. She hadn't taken it off, not even after Mason boarded the plane six months ago, leaving her in Astoria, Oregon with Bloom & Willow, her floral shop, and all the roots she couldn't pull up. They'd shared three and a half years, a year engaged, and in the end, she was the one who called it off—unable to follow him abroad, unable to abandon the home she'd built.

She remembered the night they'd sat at the kitchen table, coffee cooling in their mugs, the city wrapped in fog beyond the windows. Mason had spoken quietly, his voice trembling with hope and uncertainty. The job offer was everything he'd dreamed of—a chance to work abroad, to build a career that sparked joy after years of compromise. He'd asked her to come with him. She'd wanted to say yes, to chase adventure, but every fiber of her being clung to the place she'd made her own. The shop, the friends, the endless Oregon rain. And so, she'd told him to take the job, to choose his happiness over their comfort, even as her heart splintered with guilt.

Now, Emery twisted the ring gently, feeling the cool metal against her skin, the way it still fit perfectly. The quiet of the room pressed in, broken only by rain and the soft creak of the old window seat. Emery closed her eyes, letting memories of Mason drift through her mind—his laugh, his touch, the plans they'd made and unmade.

She wondered, sometimes, if she'd done the right thing. If her encouragement had been a kindness or a cowardice. Mason had deserved a chance to follow his dream, and she'd loved him too much to let her own fears bind him. Yet regret lingered, a dull ache beneath the surface, surfacing with every storm and every silent evening.

A sigh escaped her lips. She looked down at the ring again, swirling it slowly, then turned her gaze back to the rain-soaked world outside. In that moment, it seemed as if time itself had washed up against her window, pausing just long enough for her heart to ache. She wondered if Mason ever thought of home, if he missed her, if the rain in his new city sounded anything like the rain in Astoria.

But the world kept turning, and the rain kept falling. Emery sat in the quiet, holding the memory of love and the weight of letting go, and waited for the rhythm of her heart to find its way forward.

A distant chime from the shop's front bell snapped Emery from her thoughts. Bloom & Willow was closed for the afternoon, but sometimes regulars forgot and tried the door anyway. She wiped a tear from her cheek, tucked her hair behind her ear, and slipped downstairs, heart thumping with the sudden intrusion into her solitude.

Through the frosted glass she recognized Ruth, her oldest customer, bundled in a raincoat and clutching a faded umbrella. Emery unlocked the door, her smile gentle but weary.

"I'm sorry, Ruth, I was just... lost in thought. The shop's closed, but if you need something—"

Ruth smiled, the lines of her face deepening. "I saw your light on, dear. Thought you might like some company."

Emery hesitated, then stepped aside to let Ruth in. The familiar scent of soil and fresh blooms filled the air, grounding Emery in the present. Ruth settled herself at the counter, shaking rain from her umbrella.