The new boundary between them was not a wall, but a carefully surveyed property line. They lived in the same space, but certain topics became cordoned off, marked by an invisible, mutual understanding. The apartment, once a haven of shared vulnerability, now required a new kind of navigation.
Amelia set up a folding screen in the corner of the living room, creating a physical "study" for Project Solstice. It was her territory. When she was behind it, the tap-tap of her keyboard was the sound of her private war. Adrian did not ask what she was writing. He began wearing headphones in the evenings, listening to podcasts about permaculture or ambient soundscapes of rain forests, a gentle auditory barrier against the unspeakable narrative taking shape just feet away.
