Lydia sat calmly at the terrace, though there was no calmness inside her heart. Her hands rested on the arm of her chair, her eyes fixed far away, almost as if she wasn't seeing what was before her. She was trying to keep her face cold, her voice sharp, her emotions buried deep inside. Across from her sat a woman in her late thirties. Her dress was simple, her hair neat though a little loose, and her eyes swollen from crying. She looked weak, desperate, almost like someone who had been wandering for days with no rest.
Katherine entered quietly, carrying a jug of water and a glass. She poured slowly and handed it to the woman with gentle hands. "Here, drink," Katherine said softly.
The woman's hands trembled as she took it. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice broken. She drank, and some of the color returned to her face, but her eyes still looked heavy with sorrow.
Katherine asked carefully, "Do you need anything else?"
The woman shook her head. "No… this is enough."
