KATIE.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I was smiling.
I didn't even know when it had happened.
I kept walking through my neighborhood, taking in the familiar streets as I tried to find my bearings again after the attack. The cool afternoon air brushed against my face, but my thoughts kept drifting back to John—and to yesterday's date. Now, with everything that had happened, those memories felt even more precious.
I could still remember the moment his lips touched mine—the warmth of them, the way my heart seemed to forget how to beat as he leaned closer. Even now, the memory sent a warm feeling through my chest.
For those few seconds, everything around us had disappeared. The noise of the city, the people passing by, the world itself—all of it seemed to fade until there was only Jo
