She saw the pattern and finally ended it. The breakup was loud, cruel, and public—neighbors heard the shouting. When the door slammed behind him for the last time, her apartment felt both larger and frighteningly empty.
Noemi stared at her dwindling savings account. It was meant for a future home, but right now, a future home felt abstract. What she needed was air. She booked a cheap coastal cottage, packed a week’s worth of clothes, and drove south with only one plan: sit by the sea until the noise inside her head quieted down.