Tom's note lay in Isis's hand like a weight, its simple message echoing in her mind. "I miss our talks." How could he miss their conversations when she felt like he couldn't even look her in the eye anymore?
She found herself perched on the prow of the Black Kite, the cool night air swirling around her. Her feet dangled over the edge, the dark expanse of water mirror like below her.
Tears welled in her eyes as she replayed the events of the past few months. Revealing her squib status to Tom had been a moment of vulnerability she'd never imagined herself facing. She'd hoped he would understand, accept her for who she was, but now she feared she'd only succeeded in pushing him away - until whatever this note meant.
His note was bittersweet , when everything between them felt fragile and strained. She missed their talks too, more than she could put into words -teasing him and a lazy intimacy that had been there almost from the beginning. But she couldn't bear the thought of facing him again, of seeing the disappointment or worse - pity in his eyes.
With a heavy heart, she clutched the note tightly in her hand, the edges crumpling beneath her fingers. She wanted to reach out to him, to bridge the growing distance between them, but the fear of rejection held her back. Closing her eyes, she let out a shaky breath, the weight of her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She knew she couldn't keep avoiding him forever, but for now, she needed time to gather the courage to face him again. And maybe, just maybe, find a way to mend what felt like an irreparable rift between them.
She scribbeled
'me too' quickly on the note, beneath his words, attached it to the owl who waited patiently close at hand and sent it sailing silently into the night sky.
![[Image: QQoeBGA.png]](https://i.imgur.com/QQoeBGA.png)