Mary

The evening sky is thick with stars, the warmth of the day slowly

giving way to the coolness of night. In the small, quiet town of

Nazareth, the stillness is broken only by the occasional sound

of a donkey's hooves or a child's distant laughter. Inside her

modest home, Mary sits by the window, hands folded in her

lap, lost in thought.

The room smells faintly of burning incense,

the soft glow of a single candle flickering on the wooden table.

Her thoughts wander-What will tomorrow bring? She is young,

still only a girl, yet the weight of her future feels heavy tonight.

The wind picks up suddenly, a gust that rattles the wooden

shutters. Mary doesn't notice. She's too caught in the quiet

hum of her own heart.