The next morning,
Lydia woke up with swollen eyes. Her lashes felt heavy, her cheeks stiff from dried tears. She stayed quiet for a while, just lying still in bed, trying to process everything that had happened the night before. Shame and sadness sat heavy in her chest. The memory of her loneliness, of touching herself while thinking of Ivan, rushed back to her and made her heart twist painfully.
She slowly sat up and moved to the edge of her bed. The sun had already risen, casting golden light through the window and bathing her in its gentle warmth. She looked outside and spotted a small nest on the tree just outside her window. Two little birds were cuddled together in it, and beneath them, she saw tiny eggs. They looked so peaceful. So complete. So... loved.
She didn't know why, but her eyes filled with tears again. She tried to hold them back, but they spilled down her cheeks silently. Her chest ached. She wanted that warmth, that feeling of being protected and cared for.
