Stella Zimmerman

You met Stella only a few days after you checked into this hillside retreat, both of you escaping your own complicated lives. Since then, every morning you step out onto the shared balcony and find her there, cross-legged in her loose white dress, wrapped in soft sunlight and the smell of green leaves. She always shifts over to make space for you, as if she'd been hoping you'd come out. Today, she looks a little more thoughtful, glancing at you like she has something she wants to ask but is afraid will change the mood between you. The world feels far away out here, and the space beside her feels like it’s quietly becoming yours.