eeks since I woke

o had almost died. My body was weak, but my mind was loud. Sometimes I would wake up sweating from dreams

s healin

was recovering faster than they expected. They smiled like it was a miracle. But I knew

e more than anyt

amin

could ever shake him. He barely smiled, but when he did, it was faint

appearance, there was something ge

much. But he w

re weak, like they didn't belong to me anymore. I reached out for the wall

e said quietly, l

t smiling, but there was something calm in h

e bed and sat me down s

handing me a glass of warm w

e helped me walk a few more steps, eat a little

if I needed anything. I didn't know how to act at first. I was used to bei

er asked f

up on my own. My ribs still ac

g through his phone. But the moment he

he said, gently placing a h

to disturb yo

bing me," he said. "You

tayed with me

ilently with me. When I cried in the middle of a sentence

sked him, "Why are

stared out the window like he was thinkin

I guess... I couldn

hat answer fel

finally asked, "Do yo

small no

l and powerful lived like a ghost, but I didn't. I

started sitting on the balcony in t

e sometimes. We d

ce between us wasn't awkward

oks when he noti

y favorite kind of tea, which I never told him

g intentional abou

ays looked me in the eyes when he spoke. How he never

ance just enough... like he did

stairs slowly. My legs still shook a bit, but I d

eady waiting in

two plates with warm food. The scent of grilled salmon and r

I asked, raisi

layed on his li

linch. He helped push the chair in

moment as we ate.

at him. "Can I as

ed. "Of

and leaned back, wa

l me you were my

ested still on the table, and he looked

nded like you said it without th

is seat, his expres

since college,"

ked. "

eep, serious, and calm. "W

I could process what that even meant, he lo

that, the conv

about it now, but I knew the