Melody
When he said one step at a time, something inside me finally loosened.
Not unraveled—just softened enough to breathe.
I nodded, even though my chest felt too tight to move properly. “Okay,” I said, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. “One step.”
I didn’t let go of his hand right away. I wasn’t sure when I’d started holding it, but I knew I didn’t want to be the one to break the contact. It grounded me. Reminded me I was here, in this room, not trapped in memory or guilt or all the places my mind liked to run when things got too quiet.
“I do have to go in,” I said after a moment. “Just for tonight. I can’t leave my shift uncovered. It wouldn’t sit right with me.”
He nodded immediately. “I figured you’d say that.”
I studied his face. “You don’t seem upset.”
“I’m not,” he s
