Belle remained silent for what felt like an eternity.
Her fingers resumed their slow journey through my hair, neither hurried nor hesitant. Outside the apartment, I could hear the faint murmur of students returning to their dormitories. Somewhere in the distance, laughter drifted through the evening air before fading into quiet.
She was thinking.
Not searching for the right words.
Simply... thinking.
I'd always admired that about her.
Belle never filled silence simply because silence felt uncomfortable.
She treated it as another language.
Another answer.
Eventually, she withdrew her hand from my hair and folded both hands neatly in her lap.
"I cannot tell your hypothetical friend what they should do."
I frowned slightly.
"You can't?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"But—"
"Because there isn't a universally correct answer."
I blinked.
She tilted her head slightly toward me.
"Do you know why forests survive storms?"
I couldn't help the tiny smile that tugged at my lips.
