Night fell silently, with only the sighing wind brushing against the leaves outside the old house. Inside, the quiet felt like an empty space full of echoes. Nora stood in the kitchen, staring at the untouched cup of tea on the table.
Julian hadn't left.
He was still sitting on the sofa, fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve, no longer speaking. Usually, the boy was loud. Sharp. Quick with a teasing remark. But tonight, he was calm. As if he knew that one wrong word could collapse the walls Nora had spent years building.
"I don't understand you," Nora murmured softly, almost as if speaking to herself.
Julian looked up. "What don't you understand, Nora?"
It was the first time he'd said her name. Without asking. Without permission.
Nora went still. She should have been angry. Or at least offended. But what she felt was the opposite—her chest tightened. She hated that.
"You come here without reason. Sit in a stranger's house. Don't speak. Don't leave. It's... irrational."
Julian smiled faintly. "You're right. But sometimes the most irrational things are the most honest, aren't they?"
Nora shook her head, walking slowly into the living room and stopping across from him. Her gaze settled on the young man sitting haphazardly, like a stray puppy who'd wandered into the wrong home.
"Don't you have a home, Julian?"
"I do," he said. "But a home isn't always a place that makes you feel at peace, is it?"
His voice was too soft, too bitter for someone his age.
Nora curled her fingers into her palm. "What happened at your home?"
Julian didn't answer right away. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before speaking. "My father and I never agreed on anything... After my mom died, he lost all sense of reason. Married a woman who didn't even care about me."
Nora studied his face. Beneath the calm he showed, something was broken. Shattered. And the worst part? Julian looked like he'd grown used to the pain.
"I don't need sympathy," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "I just... sometimes want to be heard. That's all."
Silence again.
Nora walked slowly to the old bookshelf in the corner. She pulled out a book, blew off the dust, and handed it to Julian.
"Read."
Julian frowned. "Why?"
"If you're going to stay in my house, then do something that doesn't make me want to throw you out."
Julian chuckled quietly. "You're really cruel."
"I'm realistic."
Julian took the book, flipping open the first page. His hands trembled slightly, but his eyes scanned the lines quickly.
Nora turned away, heading back to the kitchen. But she paused in the doorway when Julian called out:
"Nora..."
She glanced back. Their eyes met again.
"I promise I won't touch anything. But can I come back... tomorrow?"
Nora didn't answer immediately.
She knew she should refuse. Should close every gap. But tonight... for some reason, the silence no longer felt the same.
She gave a small nod.
Then whispered, "Come... before I change my mind."
---
Morning approached. The sky faded from deep blue to pale gray, while small birds announced their presence from the trees. In the modest kitchen, Nora stood by the stove, wearing an old sweater and her hair hastily tied up. The kettle hissed softly, blending with the scent of freshly brewed coffee.
Julian emerged from the guest room—still in his worn shirt and messy hair. He yawned widely but didn't say a word.
"If you don't know how to greet people in the morning, learn." Nora's voice was cold, but not entirely sharp.
Julian smirked. "You wake up too early, Mom..."
Nora froze. She turned slowly.
"Did you just call me 'Mom'?"
Julian shrugged, grabbing a glass and sitting on the worn wooden chair. "Dunno... it just felt right."
"Don't do it again."
"Why?" Julian's eyes narrowed teasingly. "Don't you like it?"
"I don't like you handing out titles carelessly. I'm no one to you."
Julian laughed softly. "So strict about keeping your distance, huh?"
"It's not about distance. It's about meaning."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds before Nora returned to making breakfast—two slices of toast and scrambled eggs with diced peppers.
Julian watched her. "You don't seem like the type who can cook like this."
"I don't care how I seem."
"Most people do."
"I'm not most people."
Julian smiled faintly. He looked out the window, where morning sunlight began seeping through the old curtains.
"Then... can I keep calling you that in my head? Mom?"
Nora stayed silent. She didn't answer. But she didn't refuse either.
---
That afternoon, Julian came home early from school. His teacher was absent, leaving classes canceled. He decided to walk back to Nora's house—the place he hadn't even stayed at for a full week yet already felt warmer than anywhere else he'd been.
As he approached, he spotted a well-dressed man standing at the gate. His hair was neat, his suit pristine, and his posture reeked of self-importance.
"Excuse me," Julian said.
The man turned. "Do you live here?"
Julian didn't answer immediately. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm Nora's colleague."
Julian frowned. "And?"
"I just... didn't expect her to rent out a room to a schoolboy. Nora isn't that type."
"She's not renting anything. I'm staying here because she allows it."
"Interesting." The man eyed him up and down. "Nora's tastes have changed drastically."
Julian crossed his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The man only smiled thinly. "Give her my regards."
Then left.
Julian watched the man's back until he disappeared around the corner. His face remained calm, but behind his eyes, a new unease took root.
---
That night, Julian sat in the living room longer than usual. His gaze lingered on the small photos on Nora's shelf—all black and white. None showed complete happiness.
"Was that man... someone to you?" Julian asked without turning.
Nora sat across from him. She held a book but wasn't reading.
"You don't need to know."
"I want to."
Nora closed the book. "He proposed to me once. I refused. Because I knew... he only saw me as an accessory. Not as a person."
Julian lowered his head. "You're too strong for them, huh?"
"Not strong. I just know when to stop being weak."
Julian nodded slowly. "Then let me learn from you."
Nora's eyes softened. Something warm stirred, though she refused to show it. But for the first time... that night, she set out an extra pillow. Placed it on the sofa without a word.
Julian saw it. He didn't say thank you.
But in the silence, he knew—the warmth didn't come from the room's temperature... but from the presence of a woman who, little by little, was finally letting him in.