The silence after a heavy breath is beautiful.
A kind of beautiful that you could get used to.
It's the perfect amount of absence
to make just enough room for serenity to enter your mostly-empty household.

The silence that follows a scream is tense.
What will happen next?
You will miss it if you are not listening carefully,
but if you do notice it, fear is a strange feeling to observe from a distance.

The silence that occurs just as a drunken friend falls asleep in your lap is oddly comforting.
Their eyes close slowly, and their head falls back,
and it is pleasant to hold them and know that they are safe with you.
It is accomplishing to know you are trusted with good reason.

The silence of realization is incredible to witness.
If you are lucky, you'll never have to bear it more than once.
How all the cars and their passengers pause just before the sirens start,
when a girl falls from her windowsill and into the darkened city streets.