CARMEN
I woke again to a different kind of quiet.
There was no warmth pressed into my back this time. No heavy furry arm draped over my waist in the unusual way Mr. Bear found to almost sort of spoon me. There was no steady, rumbling breath against my skin.
My eyes opened slowly, and for one wild second, my body searched for the bear before my mind caught up.
And that was when I knew—he was gone.
The clearing remained unchanged. Trees, standing in a loose circle, kept watch as bright afternoon light filtered through their branches. The dirt where the bear had lain was still packed down, and the grass was bent in places, marking the weight of something large resting there not long before.
So this confirmed for me that I hadn’t imagined him. Relief crashed over me—so sharp and sudden,
