I lay in bed, the echo of Karim's departure lingering in the room, a strange void that seemed to amplify the quiet. I shifted under the covers, seeking the comfort of sleep, hoping it would come to fill the emptiness. After a couple more hours of restless slumber, I awoke and dragged myself into the shower. The water was warm, soothing, but it did little to wash away the uneasy feeling that had settled in my chest.
The house felt eerily empty. The silence was loud, pressing against my thoughts. I knew work awaited, responsibilities that I couldn't neglect, but the emptiness seemed to follow me as I walked to the kitchen. There, the breakfast Karim had prepared awaited me. I reheated it, the aroma filling the kitchen and momentarily masking the solitude.
