「 let me let you go 」— open.

[truce.]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 1.5;"]･ﾟ✧ — Lip jutted out very slightly, she was too used to being the cheerful girl. Like the warmth of the sun on a summers day, Ellie had been so accustomed to showing off her beaming smile and the warming glow of her gentle nature that it felt out of her character to cry. Lips pressed together to form a thin line, she grimaced to herself whilst she waited by the wood stove for water to boil. She'd not allow herself to grieve over Mick anymore - this hurt was becoming obsessive. Swallowing hard to try remove the lump in her throat, she furrowed her eyebrows sternly as she took the water and then poured it into her mug, making herself some herbal tea.

It'd been four months since her engagement with the man who had such beautiful eyes had been called off, and her heart still ached every moment of every day. But alas, he appeared just fine moving on, so why couldn't she do the same, too? Her bottom lip wobbled, almost as if it were a dam struggling to hold back a flood. But then, the waterworks began just as said dam crumbled. Shakily lowering the pot into the sink, Ellie quickly used her now free hand to swat at her cheek, briskly hiding any evidence of her internal conflict. She couldn't cry. Not over him. Not anymore.

She slowly raised the steaming mug up to her lips, hands trembling as her heart raced anxiously. When she was feeling this way, the downwards spiral was often a swift one. Internal conflict would result in crying which would result in stress which would result in a panic attack; it was an unfortunate pattern which she'd learned to pick up over the years, yet a pattern she wasn't quite sure how to ever break out of. And so, she'd attempt to deny that she was feeling anything at all. Numb herself from the pain. She sipped on her tea, though the liquid burned as she swallowed hesitantly. She wasn't sure if the next few tears were from the pain of burning herself or from the pain of her permanently broken heart, but she'd given up on trying to hide the saline tears from herself.

Instead, she stared out the window at the winter wonderland glistening outside, fresh snow settled on the ground appearing so serene and untouched. Ellie inhaled deeply. Warm mug held close to her, all she'd allow herself to do was gaze outside, body still and awkward as she stood silent in her grief.