They talked for a long time, as women often do, weaving endless stories, full of small details that seemed insignificant yet carried meaning to them. Their conversation flowed without pause, and it felt as though it would never end, stretching on as long as the years they had been apart. This was a familiar rhythm in the lives of women, shared across the world.
"It's been so long, I hardly know you anymore, my dear," Catherine said, speaking to the visitor who sat across from her, the little girl perched on her lap.
"Since your wedding day, it's been six years," replied Mandine.
"Tell me, how does it feel?" Catherine asked, lifting a glass of juice from the table and taking a sip.
"What feeling do you mean?" Mandine responded.
"The feeling you must be having now, on the brink of graduating with that degree you've always wanted?" Catherine said with a smile. Mandine's face lit up at the mention of her achievement.
"It's an incredible feeling! Just a few months to go, presenting my research paper that I came here for, and then—Miss Mandine Warburg, the first graduate of the class of 2018, Oxford University of History!" Mandine said, adding a humorous twist to her words. They both laughed at the way she said it.
"Oh, I remember," Catherine replied, getting up from her seat after placing her glass back on the table. She returned to her place, holding a book in her hand. "A young man came by a little while ago looking for you. When I told him you hadn't arrived yet, he said he had some work to do and left this book for you," she said, handing it over to Mandine.
Mandine took a deep breath as she took the book from Catherine's hands. "Finally, here we go," she murmured.
Later that evening, Mandine decided to read the book after she had gone to the room Catherine had prepared for her. It seemed very old, but despite its age, the book felt sturdy in her hands. She looked at its cover, which was completely blank, and opened the first page, which was equally empty, save for a handwritten title: "Diary."
Mandine sat under the dim light in her room, the book before her, and began to read.