The Letter She Kept Unopened Until Spring

The letter arrived on the coldest morning of the year. She recognized the handwriting before she saw the name and placed it beside the window without opening it.

Winter passed in small routines. Each day she moved around the envelope as if it were a piece of furniture, present but no longer demanding attention.

On the first warm afternoon of spring, she finally broke the seal. The words inside were gentler than she had feared, but the real answer had already formed during the months she chose to wait.

She folded the page once, opened the window and understood that readiness sometimes arrives quietly, long after the question.