Love, or Let Me Go

curtains, heating the lip of Amara's si

hat ringed the block for a couple of hours and leaving her car, p

next to her. The shape of his head was missing,

the bed and crept silently into the kitchen, bare feet slapping on the

he Nest. Will be l

Ne

ches of a lovely magnolia tree. They found it their first spring together, still drunk with love

her ther

rsed through her-that was merely awareness. A growing sense of realization that t

offee anyway. Habit, not hunger,

sed and trudged into

came toward her, and she smiled back, though hers didn't quite reach her eyes. The building provide

to answer a call when she

not s

aning, genuinely laughing at what Celeste was saying. E

ad been in a mo

s jacket cuff, smoothed what was

k-there was nothing shocking in the mome

n their own universe. Softness on Julian's face

t hurt

nced at Amara these days,

er hands shaking as she read delivery tickets. Hydrangeas for a birthday. Dahlias for a wed

ring bouquet she c

ulian was already home, hunched over t

red as she walke

eplied, con

ter into the kitchen,

e asked if you were still doing

her tone l

You lik

ose to saying. She added

forward, his gaze

, diplomatic. "Can

n eyebrow.

ee how different yo

he space of an eye-defensiv

d. "You listen. You lean forward.

k and sighed. "Amara, come on. Do

id softly, stinging. "I'm

ay anything

been friends our entire

anctuary," Am

ing down so damned heavily all the time. Can't we hav

inside h

"I've watched you speak with her. The way you smiled. The way your eyes softened

almost hurt. "T

someone who makes you feel like a burden. You a

You want to throw everything away on

g invisible. It's about your voice still going so

that spread between

"Not just my body. My soul. I don't eve

He didn't apologize

that silence,

f in the midst of collapse. Dried rosebuds spilled over the c

dle and pulled

ne

still has softness in his eyes. He gave it to her. I don't begrudge Celeste. I

stranger,

ghost in

pa

app

mayb

ts don't s