Chapter 104

• Haven sat at his study, absentmindedly tapping his fingers against the dull mahogany table. The murmur of the ceiling fan did small to cut through the warmth of the late evening sun, casting long shadows over the room. He gazed at the heap of printed papers before him, insurance papers, utility bills, a couple of new letters.
• The basic points of interest of life that had ended up a consistent weight on his shoulders since Alexis had moved out a few months back. He still recollected the last day they both talked, the calm farewell that felt more like a murmur than a goodbye. There had been no shouting, no allegations. Just a waiting, overwhelming quiet that filled the house after she packed her bags and drove away. He hadn't seen her since, in spite of the fact that they had talked a few times on the phone, brief, empty discussions that never truly tended to what was broken between them.
• But nowadays, something was different. There was a thick envelope sitting at the top of the heap of files, perfect white, with his title printed flawlessly in Alexis's penmanship. A scowl wrinkled Haven's temple. He comes to it, his hand floating for a moment as in case he may as of now feel the weight of its substance.