David
I woke to the warmth of Laura in my arms, her soft breath brushing against my chest. For a moment, I let myself believe the last few months had been nothing but a nightmare. She was here. We were together. And the world felt right. But then reality came crashing down, as it always did. This wasn’t a moment of reconciliation—it was a goodbye wrapped in borrowed time.
Her eyes fluttered open, meeting mine with a sleepy smile that disarmed me completely. “Morning,” she murmured, her voice soft and vulnerable in the early light.
“Morning,” I replied, my voice betraying the lump in my throat. I didn’t want this morning to end, knowing that it marked the beginning of her absence. “Did you sleep well?”
She nodded, her gaze searching mine. “Surprisingly, yes.”
“Good,” I said, brushing a
