Carmel perched on a green leather couch in the dim light of her living room, watching droplets of rain race down the window. She absentmindedly picked up her mug of hazelnut latte, its warmth seeping into her fingers, but her gaze remained fixed outside. I need to get out, she thought, raising the mug to her lips and blowing softly on the surface.
A restlessness stirred within her, urging her to leap through the window and escape to a world where she felt safe and free. She needed to go—this much was clear. But how could she abandon everything she had built over the past six years? The thought of risking it all paralyzed her. If she stumbled now, everything would crumble, and with it, so would she.
Perhaps she could wait another year or two to gather her strength and resources. Just as she began to settle into this notion, a surge of determination overtook her. She sprang to her feet and marched into the kitchen, pouring the lukewarm coffee down the sink. “A quick rinse will do,” she told herself, scrubbing out the mug before reaching for a teabag.
Maybe tea would bring her better luck. Maybe, with each steeping moment, she could brew a plan for her escape.
