A Soft Reply

I kept thinking about your gentle 'hello' while the room settled into night. Leaning close to the dark foam top of the microphone, I paused, listening first to the steady, quiet hum of the computer. Then, very carefully, I let out a soft breath and whispered the word back. 'Hello.' It carried a tiny rustle against the mesh, like dry leaves sliding over wool. I sat back onto my heels and listened as the quiet returned. It felt good to answer you.