nt

like my skin did

hadn't happened at all. But I knew it had. I felt it in the tightness

buzzed ag

know if y

forget

ery time I closed my eyes, I was back in that street, hearing those footsteps, feeling thos

breathe. I needed to feel li

ock pulle

pen. Sonya stood the

breakfast

dn't ha

alking past me anyway. "

nd followed her.

e me a look I knew too well. "You're

n try to lie

htma

tarted pouring tea into two cups like sh

ething,"

d brought. It smelled like Mum's old morning runs

ou going to tell me what'

othing els

nth

ked a

d you. This... Ra

t talk much. He just..

ch w

ped t

ghtened. "

lked m

t's

t's

could read the part I wasn't

es

ou recog

the streetlight cut across his face

hi

dark," I

her hands around her

" I wh

ss the table and foun

-

igger after she left

yesterday, to wipe a kitchen counter that wasn't ev

al

ip on

e-steady

he

eyes shut, b

d to

pped outside before I

-

wouldn't walk down again. Past the pharmacy. Past the corn

heart kicked hard, like

you doing

ecking. Making sure last night

t stood there, staring at the closed door

then, it was only for a second, just to see that n

'd imagined

-

s curled up on the couch with her

u o

Just

ne that said you're lying but I'l

ank

y thoughts wouldn't settle. Not

g that silver cross like it was

-

at by the window with my knees dra

till hear

But forgetting ha

that? What was he try

know more than his name. But th

ch. To

curtain and s

-

sent a message befor

you'r

Then hi

m. Th

e. Di

ered, but I

ever want

creen blinked. T

but nothin

couldn't st

-

ym

f morning where light creeps in slow,

he table. My father's. I used to keep it in a box, hidden. These last few weeks, I've le

t's face kept

e

nt

hen I told them to let her go, and then the relief in her eyes when I did what I was trained

st time in years, so

A café card, her handwriting small and d

lready there, humming softly as she sorted groceries. She alw

," she said with

sleep,"

ing about

. "Somethin

y, towel in her hands. "It mat

hould

d," she sa

me wanted to call her-to just... check if she was okay. But another par

t the thought awa

Hope yo

he words. Thr

ped

m. Th

Then disappeared. T

you ever wan

d set the phone dow

t

't move aw

-