By autumn, the bench was still there, but Elias rarely sat on it. He was too busy walking through the woods with Clara, sketching the changing leaves and realizing that even the oldest trees grew new branches every spring.
Inspired by her infectious energy and the lyrics of a song he heard in her studio—something about not wanting to start over but needing to see oneself differently—Elias began to change: somebody_new
"You look like you're waiting for a train that already left," Clara told him, her eyes dancing. "Why not try a different station?" By autumn, the bench was still there, but