The morning began in silence. The kind that stretched too long, wrapping itself around the walls of the house like a ghost no one acknowledged.
Adrian was in the shower when Maya had left early for class.
Elena in her room walked around the bedroom with deliberate grace, folding laundry, stacking books, smoothing sheets.
She wasn't searching, at least not consciously. But her hands knew where to linger.
When she picked up Adrian's shirt from the chair, something slipped from the pocket and fluttered onto the floor.
"A lipstick-stained tissue."
Elena froze. Slowly, she bent, her eyes fixed on the faint smear of color. It wasn't hers. She never wore that shade, too bright, too reckless for her taste.
She turned the fabric between her fingers, her lips curling into the faintest smile. Not rage. Not sorrow. A strange, calm clarity.
When Adrian emerged from the bathroom, toweling his hair, he found her seated on the edge of the bed, holding the shirt. The tissue was gone, tucked neatly into her palm.
"You're quiet this morning," he said.
Elena looked up, her expression unreadable.
Am I?
He hesitated, then chuckled nervously. You're always quiet when you're thinking too much.
Maybe, she said softly.
She stood, smoothing the shirt before laying it across the chair again. Then she leaned close, her lips brushing his cheek, a kiss light as a whisper.
But her eyes lingered on his, steady and deep, as though she were searching for cracks beneath his skin.
Adrian swallowed hard, the gesture too sharp for such an ordinary morning.
Something is off about her. He said to himself.
Later that day, Elena stepped into her favorite cafe. Daniel was already there, reading, as though he knew she'd come.
Without waiting for an invitation, she slid into the seat across from him.
You look different today unlike yesterday. Daniel said, setting his book aside.
Almost… relieved, yeah?
Elena stirred her coffee with her face serene. Relieved isn't the word. Certain, perhaps.
He watched her carefully.
You've found something. Aren't you?
Her lips curved faintly. "Let's call it a thread. The kind you pull, and suddenly, the whole weave begins to fall apart."
Daniel leaned forward, his voice low.
So If I may ask, will you pull it, Elena?
Her eyes gleamed with something both tender and ruthless. "Oh, Daniel. I already have, trust me." She smiled beautifully.
Maya, meanwhile, was restless. She had missed a lecture, pacing in her dorm room, clutching her phone like a lifeline.
She typed and erased messages to Adrian, her fingers trembling: "Adrian, she knows. I can feel it. We really need to be careful".
What if she finds out? She will never see me as a friend anymore
On a second thought, she stopped and never pressed send. The guilt was a noose around her neck, tightening every time she remembered Elena's soft gaze.
That evening, as Elena cleared the dinner table, Maya offered to help. Their hands brushed when Maya reached for a plate.
Elena smiled at her, warm, kind, almost motherly.
Oh my gosh, You're trembling, she whispered.
Maya's breath hitched. I….no, I'm fine, thank you for your concern.
Elena placed a hand over hers, squeezing gently. "Sweetheart… fine is the biggest lie we tell. Especially when you feel uncomfortable."
The plate slipped from Maya's hands and clattered into the sink. Her cheeks flushed scarlet. She mumbled an excuse and hurried out, her footsteps frantic.
Elena turned back to the dishes, humming softly, her eyes dark with quiet triumph.
The first thread had unraveled. The tapestry was beginning to collapse.