NIA’S POV
I didn’t say a word.
I just quietly walked over and sat beside him on the cold stone bench, close enough that our shoulders touched. His hand rested limply on his thigh, and I gently slid mine over his, lacing our fingers together.
His grip was weak at first. Then it tightened, as if he needed to anchor himself to something, someone.
I glanced at his face.
His eyes were red, the skin beneath them slightly swollen. He’d been crying. My strong, unshakable Alexander… broken in a way I’d never seen before.
My chest ached.
I didn’t try to offer words of comfort, none felt right. I just held his hand, brushing my thumb gently over his knuckles. We sat there in silence, surrounded by the rustling trees and the distant chirp of birds. The wind was soft, almost reverent.
A
