The Color of Feelings -- Claude

 The Color of Feelings -- Claude 

The morning Sarah received the letter, the sky was impossibly blue. She stood in her kitchen, the envelope trembling between her fingers, fear and anticipation battling in her chest. Three years of silence, and now this—her brother's handwriting, unmistakable despite the time that had passed. 

"Are you going to open it?" Michael asked, his voice gentle. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, sensing her turmoil. 

Sarah nodded, though uncertainty clouded her eyes. With shaking hands, she tore the envelope and unfolded the single page within. 

Across town, David paced the length of his apartment, regret weighing heavy on his shoulders. He had written the letter a week ago in a moment of courage—or perhaps desperation. Now, waiting for a response he wasn't sure would come, anger at himself bubbled beneath the surface. Why had he waited so long? The rift between him and Sarah had started as a hairline crack and grown into a canyon of silence. 

His phone rang, startling him. It wasn't Sarah but his boss. 

"We lost the Miller account," came the curt voice. "I need you in the office. Now." 

Disappointment crashed over David. He had worked nights and weekends on that account. "I'll be there in twenty," he replied, professional mask sliding into place despite the frustration churning inside. 

Meanwhile, in a coffee shop between their homes, Elena—mutual friend to both siblings—sat across from her boyfriend, joy radiating from her smile. 

"They're finally talking again," she said, clutching James's hand. "You know how stubborn they both are. This could change everything." 

James matched her smile with his own. "That's wonderful," he said, genuine warmth in his voice. He hesitated, then reached into his pocket. "Speaking of changing everything..." 

Elena's eyes widened as he produced a small velvet box. Surprise rendered her speechless. 

Back in Sarah's kitchen, tears streamed down her face as she reached the end of the letter. 

"He wants to meet," she whispered, a cautious hope breaking through her grief. "After Mom's funeral... he couldn't handle it. He says he's sorry for disappearing." 

Michael wrapped his arms around her, relief washing over him. He had watched Sarah carry this wound for years, had seen how the estrangement had dimmed her usual brightness. 

"Will you go?" he asked. 

Sarah wiped her tears, determination replacing her earlier hesitation. "Yes. Tomorrow at Elena's café." She took a deep breath. "I'm scared, but... I miss my brother." 

As evening fell, David stood on his balcony, exhaustion from the workday fading beneath growing nervousness about tomorrow's meeting. His phone buzzed with a text. 

*I'll be there at 10. -Sarah* 

A smile broke across his face, the first genuine one in months. Excitement mingled with anxiety as he typed his reply. 

In their separate corners of the city, two siblings prepared to bridge the distance between them, each experiencing a kaleidoscope of emotions—fear and hope, regret and anticipation, grief for lost time and excitement for what might come next. And around them, life continued its complex dance of feelings, some hidden, some shared, all deeply human.