I stood at the door longer than I should've.
Not because I was afraid. I wasn't sure that's what I felt anymore. It was something quieter. A pause. Like the air right before rain.
Shoes tied. Hoodie on. Phone in pocket. Nothing special.
Except… I never did this. I don't remember when was the last time i willingly went outside.
Behind me, the room seemed to hold its breath. I took a deep breath trying to muster up the courage to open the door.
I stood by the door for a long time.
Long enough for the air to go still behind me. Long enough for Sloth to lift her head off the couch and blink.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I think so."
"You're wearing shoes."
"Yeah."
"And jeans."
"Is that a problem?"
"Wait," Gluttony said, eyes wide. "Are you leaving? As in—actually using the door?"
"That's what shoes mean, right?" Wrath muttered, arms crossed but visibly alert.
Pride stood by the mirror, arms folded like a coach watching a player warm up.
"Try not to trip on your way" he said, almost smirking.
"They brushed their hair this morning," Lust added, trailing a finger down the couch's arm. "I had a feeling."
"Where to?" Envy asked, a little too quickly.
"Coffee," I said quietly. "I just want… coffee."
The room stilled.
Then Pride stood, adjusted his cuffs, and walked over.
"Don't slouch when you walk," he said. "And whatever you do, don't order a mocha. You're not twelve."
"This is big," Gluttony whispered. "Someone light a candle or something!"
"Take your time," Sloth added. "But not too much, okay?"
I nodded.
And then—without another word—I opened the door and stepped outside.
The hallway smelled like stale mop water. The world hadn't changed.
But my breathing had.
The stairs were three flights down, but they felt like a descent into something far deeper.
The city hit me before I was ready.
Noise. Motion. Smells. Everything moved fast. Fast like I'd forgotten how to keep up. But I kept walking.
One block. Then two.
I found the café tucked beneath a dry cleaner's sign, the windows fogged from the inside.
The bell chimed.
I expected the world to stare.
It didn't.
And maybe that was okay.
I stared at the menu.
Too many options. Too many choices pretending to matter.
"Just a small coffee," I said eventually.
Simple. Safe.
The barista handed me a paper cup.
"Sugar and milk over there."
I nodded. Poured one sugar. Just one.
Then I found a seat in the corner, back to the wall, facing the door.
The first sip was awful.
Burnt. Bitter.
But it was warm. And mine.
I took my cup and sat by the window, facing out. I watched strangers pass—talking, laughing, arguing, living.
And then I noticed her.
An old woman, maybe late 70s, sitting on the bench outside. She wore a faded pink cardigan and mismatched shoes. She was just sitting there observing the world as a passerby. Strangely enough she didn't look out of place.
Just... there.
Still.
A flickering match of presence in the middle of a rushing street.
Her eyes met mine through the glass.
No judgment. No request. Just quiet recognition.
I looked away. Then back.
She smiled—small, crooked, like someone who hadn't smiled in a while but remembered how to do it just then.
She lifted her coffee cup toward me in a sort of invisible toast.
I blinked, then slowly lifted mine back.
Two strangers. One quiet nod across glass and noise.
It lasted three seconds.
But something inside me softened—like a knot that didn't even know it was there had finally loosened.
I looked down at the table.
There was a small flyer tucked beneath the napkin holder. An ad for a local art exhibit. Free entry.
I didn't take it.
But I read it.
Twice.
That felt like a decision. I finished up my coffee and went back.
Back in Room 7, the excitement hit before the door closed.
"Did you make eye contact with anyone?!" Gluttony demanded. "Did you bring any Muffins?!"
I handed over a box of muffins i bought on the way over as i watched Gluttony excitedly opening the box like a kid unwrapping a Christmas present the innocence made put a smile on my Face.
"Tell me there was sunlight," Lust sighed. "Please tell me you touched sunlight."
"Let him breathe, you vultures," Wrath said, trying not to look proud.
Pride didn't speak at first. Just gave me a once-over like a tailor checking fit.
"You didn't shrink today," he said.
"Coffee was bad," I replied.
"Good. You will just have to search for a better one then."
Sloth peeked one eye open.
"You didn't die. Huh. Noted."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the flyer I grabbed off the café board. I didn't even remember taking it.
Envy gently plucked it from my hand.
"Art exhibit," they read aloud. "Free. Friday night."
"You thinking about going?" Greed asked, feigning indifference.
I shrugged.
"I'm thinking about it."
That was enough to send another ripple through the room.
"Get ready," Wrath grinned. "We're dressing up."
"Oh, we are going places," Lust purred.
"I'll pack snacks!" Gluttony declared.
"You'll eat them before we leave," Envy said.
"Let's not jinx it," Pride interrupted. "Let's just say... they've taken the first step."
I sat on the floor, cup still warm in my hand, and looked around.
They weren't just watching anymore.
They were rooting for me.
Even if none of us said it.
That night, I didn't write a whole journal entry.
Just one line.
"Someone saw me. And I saw them back."