I faltered, not expecting to hear the very words I had been longing to hear for so long.
When she left that day, I stayed standing outside the cabin, holding the basket in my hands with a genuine smile on my face.
Over the following months, my life became simple. I cooked my own meals, tended to my garden, and read old books I had kept since I was a teenager. Sometimes, I would take walks through the forest just to breathe in the fresh air.
Day by day, I rediscovered parts of myself that I had long forgotten. I learned to enjoy my own company and appreciate days when nothing particularly special happened.
It was funny. I used to think that I needed a grand purpose to be happy. But now, a peaceful morning was enough. I felt like I was finally healing.
But when night fell, everything ch
