[ZACH]
I watched Pearl leave my office in a hurry, and I couldn't shake the feeling of what just happened. That moment I embraced her, I felt a warmth I've been longing for, the kind Julie used to give me before her absence started eating deep through my soul.
When I had Pearl in my arms, I felt her hand slightly grazing my back. I felt a flood of mixed signals hit me. Was I misreading her touch in her moment of vulnerability? Maybe it was the weight of the moment on her and she just needed comfort, a gesture to make herself feel better. People have ways of responding to stress. I know, it's happened to me before. But my mind betrayed me and I felt desperate, clinging to her touch as if it were a lifeline.
I was nearly lost at that moment. I didn't want our embrace to end, but a sharp p
