Not Quite

It was the most ordinary winter night, tucked quietly between the pages of the calendar. So inconspicuously simple that you could easily pass it by, waiting for a brighter dawn. Woven of snowstorms, lost thoughts, and long-faded footsteps. It was the most ordinary night. Or perhaps not quite.

The logs in the fireplace crackled with the tenderness of a lullaby. Their flames played with the shadows on the thick blankets. And beneath them, on the soft couch - two intertwined bodies. A woman’s head nestled against strong, firm male chest. Her dark hair, scattered over his shoulders - wild and untamed, yet willingly finding its place. Their legs and arms tangled in a complex weave that seemed perfectly ordered in its chaos. Their hands never stopped exploring every inch of skin - to study it, caress it, worship it. To touch. Just two souls, who had found peace in each other’s presence.

A hoarse male voice chased the silence away, words falling from his lips like a whisper.

“My girl.”

He slowly lifted her head and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. His lips touched hers. An ethereal movement, filled with tenderness and longing. With love. A fraction of a second of immeasurable bliss.

“Come close. You are too far away.”

“Is that so? I thought I am too close,” her voice was soft, filling the room with warmth. This was their game, and no one else needed to understand it. A playful spark danced in her eyes. She had waited so long to set it free and let it dance.

“Come closer then. You are not close enough.”

His hand burned against the skin of her back. It slid gently over her, melting everything in its path. It paused for a second and lightly squeezed her flesh. And the smile spreading across his lips stood on the edge of perfection.

It was a beautiful, utterly perfect moment on an ordinary winter night.

As if time itself had actually stopped.

You could hear the dog snoring in its warm bed in the corner of the cozy room. The clock ticking - with a steady rhythm that seemed to have no effect in this place. The rustling of leaves touched by gusts of wind. The cracking of the wooden floor. All signs that the world kept moving. But for the two bodies wrapped in dreams, sighs, and longings, this moment was infinite.

Love and trust. That is what Louise found between two strong arms. The hollow of his neck - her safe place. The fingers on her back – a promise. She could stay in this moment forever. Breathing. Living. Enjoying.

And then - a thud.

Louise jolted in fear and the blanket slipped onto the floor. Her eyes blinked, trying to adjust to the harsh light.

“Oh, did I wake the sleeping beauty up?!” His voice scraped like a knife and chased away every trace of pleasure. The rag he had thrown at her lay by her shoulder. It smelled of dampness - and something else. In any case, it was not pleasant.

Louise finally came to her senses. The man in the room. His heavy footsteps approaching her. The smell of alcohol. He grabbed her chin roughly and forced her gaze toward him.

“Nice dreams, huh?” His sharp teeth made his face look animalistic, stripped of emotion. Except one - mockery.

“I didn’t mean to hit you. It’s just time, you know,” he gestured toward the kitchen and the dishes with dried food crusted on them. “Breakfast won’t make itself, if you catch my drift.”

His laughter came out in broken bursts, droplets of saliva flying toward her face. She instinctively raised her hand and wiped it away. The pressure of his fingers on her chin tightened, and he pulled her face closer to his, almost knocking her off the couch. He planted a loud kiss on her lips that made her stomach revolt. Then he let go, returned to the kitchen, crossed his arms over his chest, nodded toward the stove, and grinned again.

The room felt suffocating. The dog was still sleeping in the corner. The clock would not stop ticking.

This was just another ordinary morning - one of many in Louise’s life.

But here is something many people forget. Nothing is eternal. Not even love. Especially when it turns into something else. Something ugly.

So maybe it was not quite an ordinary morning as in that moment, several things happened.

Louise slowly rose from the couch and looked around. And this time - she faced it all. Years of endurance, attempts, and resignation. Dirty dishes. A sticky floor. Disgust. Hatred. Rage.

Only this time - it was her own.

A second is not much time. You can easily miss it without realizing what happened. But not this time.

The colors blurred and the room trembled, barely perceptible. As if the layers of the earth were shifting into place.

A glitch.

In the city.

In the universe.

In her life.

“I’m going to the garage. Fifteen minutes should be enough for you, right? I’m sure you can manage in ten. Just don’t burn the eggs like last time. You know that won’t make me happy. And we don’t want that, do we, sweetheart?”

The arrogance in his voice filled the room, making her ears feel as if they were bleeding. God, how had she endured that sound for so long?

Lu nodded almost imperceptibly, but the figure of the man did not wait to see the gesture. He knew she would obey. As always. He turned and headed for the garage.

But Lu did not follow him. She ran toward the door in the opposite direction.

She was ready to leave this home, this man, this life. She flung the front door open and almost tripped on the threshold. She found herself in her own yard - but not quite. The full moon shone brightly, allowing her to peer into the darkness. The sky was strewn with stars, lighting the path ahead. And Lu walked boldly toward it.

It had taken time - perhaps even too much. But she was ready. With every step, she walked more lightly and breathed more freely. The wind caressed the leaves on the tree branches and whispered softly,

“Come closer then.”

It was the most ordinary night.

Or perhaps not quite.