The morning sun finds us through the linen window coverings. I’m back to reality to find Lily and me in a connected heap of entwined limbs. The feeling of her soft skin against mine is one that I will never tire of. Her head rests on my chest, and I kiss the top of it. Her hair smells like it always has, and that comforting scent brings a plethora of memories back.
Over the past few years, my heart has hurt with such an intensity every time a memory of Lily took hold. Every recollection was so raw and so charged with emotion that I couldn’t stand to let my mind drift to those times. The memories would debilitate me, rendering me useless. I couldn’t do it, especially when Stella was still alive. I had to focus on my responsibilities.
But they flood my senses now, every one. And this time,
