Sára Szombati
Emma always played “Both Sides Now” on Sunday mornings while making coffee. When she and Daniel first moved in together, he said it was too sad for this time of day. Emma just laughed and said he didn’t get it. Back then, everything felt easy, like nothing could really go wrong.
A few years later, Emma stood alone in the same kitchen. The coffee maker was broken, and the apartment felt too quiet. She played the song again, but now it sounded different. The words felt heavier, like they actually meant something she understood.
She thought about how things with Daniel slowly changed. They didn’t fight much, but they stopped talking about important things. Little things added up until they weren’t little anymore. One day. He just left, and neither of them tried hard enough to fix it.
Emma looked out the window at the cloudy sky. She remembered how they used to lie on the grass and talk about the shapes they saw. Now the clouds just looked grey and confusing.
When the song ended, she didn’t replay it. She grabbed her keys and left, thinking maybe some things only make sense after they are over.