The power went out just as Emily set her cup of tea on the windowsill. Outside, the city lights flickered once before plunging into darkness. She sighed, fumbling through a drawer until her fingers found the tiny box of matches. Striking one, she lit the wick of her favorite candle, watching as the tiny flame grew, its glow filling her small apartment with warmth.
Across the hall, Daniel was in the middle of reading when his lamp blinked off. He groaned, rubbing his temples. Living alone had its perks, but moments like these made him feel the weight of silence a little too much. He reached for his phone, but the battery was dead. Annoyed, he stepped into the hallway—maybe a neighbor knew about the lights.
That’s when he saw it.
A soft glow seeped from underneath the door across from his. Emily’s door.
They had exchanged passing smiles before, the occasional “morning” or “have a good night,” but they’d never really spoken. Now, standing in the dim hallway, Daniel hesitated. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he knocked.
Emily opened the door, candle in hand. The flame flickered slightly, casting golden light on her curious expression. “Hey,” she said, a little surprised.
“Hey,” Daniel replied, scratching the back of his neck. “I, uh… saw your light. Thought maybe you had an idea of what’s going on?”
Emily glanced at the darkened city beyond her window. “I think it’s a blackout.” She lifted the candle slightly. “I was just about to light a couple more. Want to come in?”
Daniel hesitated for only a second before nodding. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”
She led him inside, setting the candle between them on the coffee table. The shadows on the walls flickered and danced, filling the space with a quiet intimacy. They talked about the city, about books, about how neither of them had ever really taken the time to know their neighbors. The glow of the candle softened the distance between them, turning strangers into something closer.
Minutes stretched into hours, and the darkness outside no longer felt empty—it felt peaceful.
When the power finally returned, the harsh white glow of the overhead light felt almost intrusive. Emily reached for the switch, pausing. “Do you mind if we leave it off a little longer?”
Daniel smiled, glancing at the candle’s soft flame. “Not at all.”
And so, they sat a little closer, their hands resting near the candle’s warmth, letting the quiet glow of something new settle between them.
Emily watched the flame dance as she traced a finger across the light making her own shadows. “Funny how a little light can change everything,” she murmured.
Daniel looked at her, the glow catching in his eyes. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to. There was something in the way he watched her, in the way his fingers brushed the back of her hand so lightly it could have been mistaken for an accident.
Emily didn’t move away. Instead, she let the warmth settle between them, unspoken yet understood.
Some things didn’t need words. Some feelings—like the glow of candlelight on a quiet night—were best left to flicker, steady and sure, in the space between two people who simply knew.
THIS GEL WAX CANDLE WAS HAND CRAFTED FOR YOU BY - Joey of JOEY MADE THIS LLC