When Should a Story Leave a Question Open?

A reader hesitates at a moment in a story. Is that a useful pause—or a sign the draft hasn’t given them enough to follow what matters?

Some uncertainty is the point; some just makes the next step hard to understand. When feedback shows readers are confused, how do you decide what to clarify and what to leave open? What would you ask them to learn whether the ambiguity is creating curiosity or getting in the way?