Unbroken; A Road to Forever

soft haze dusted the corners of the room, caressing the pill bottles lined up on her des

. Her thoughts drifted far from the pages of biochemistry-toward a persistent ache in her chest. Not physical.

hough love, marriage, or even the idea of it was a cruel j

es was no

r allowed herself

om the military barracks she once called home, was her father's idea.

t. It was Aisha who had searched endlessly for the perfect space, ensuring they'd be

calm, Alia couldn't ignore the sha

ma

ndless nights. In the faint scent of his cologne that clung to the corridor some mornings. I

Even through the rain, when thunder rolled through th

wn her line in t

ot be someo

ven J

ill, h

anded. Never

ent when she didn't want to talk. Once, he even left a worn leather-bound b

h the slow, deliberate way he showed up for her. It frightened her how much she noticed.

, she h

sn't meant for

hat's what

shut her textbooks and pulled her shawl tighter around her. Her pho

ard it

knocks on

art st

kn

was

t. Then, slowly, she walked

izzle. His uniform jacket clung to him, a dark olive silhouette

she said softly, tryin

smile. D

sta

" he said quietly. "I come t

oat tig

, and without touching her

dded.

ather filled her space. She turned away, busyi

le stronger, "I told you. I'm fine.

"But I will. Until the day

fr

otebooks, flipped through a few pages, then set it down aga

tirred some

with unsaid things, she fina

d at her

the only thin

you let in," he said. "Even if it takes years. Even if all I get is

ay, the heat behind her

kind that waited through silence an

she

o