The months slipped away, barely recognizable, barely there, and then suddenly it was as if I’d always been alone, like it was normal to pad through the halls without Darren by my side. Calls, messages, each one fleeting, each one hurting as much as it healed. I touched the place where he should have been: beside me, reaching for my fingers, inhaling my scent, losing himself in it. But he wasn’t there, not even close. Most of the time, I only had messages to console me. Reading his handwritten letters to help me feel like he was near me. We had been able to have a few video chats, which was nice even though it made me miss him even more each time. I was given a crystal that would allow me to contact him if it was urgent. The light on his end would glow and let him know I needed to speak to
