Julian did not leave.
He rented a tiny room right at the entrance of the alley where I lived, and waited there every single day.
This was the same man who had once lived for fancy social events, always chasing the next high.
But now, all that old swagger was gone. All I could see in his eyes was thick, unshakable exhaustion and stubbornness.
Every morning when I headed out to buy groceries, he was always there, loitering at the mouth of the alley.
He never came closer. He just stood there watching me from far away, a bag clutched in his hand.
Sometimes the bag held strawberry cookies, Nora's favorite when she was little.
Other times, it was fancy, nicely packaged supplements, supposedly to help me build my strength back up.
I never spared him a second glance, just walked straight p
