Rekindle Moment

't come insi

her, into the room behind her, and for a second, Joanne saw something she hadn't expected: hesitation. N

ide. "Do you w

or a long beat. Then he nodded once and steppe

because of his size, but because of the weight he carried. He didn't say anything fo

'd see you again,

Joanne replied, her vo

ng that might have been a laugh.

say out loud: Because I've loved you for years. Because I saw you again and it undid

ded a change. The city st

something unreadable in his

answered. "I d

lking barefoot through a memory neither of them wanted to touch. Kennedy gl

r his arm. "Didn't think I'd be out this long. Wasn't exp

over her chest, suddenly

nked.

ere talking to someone, and you said you were

it, but his shoulders stiffened lik

is way just because of

ecause I needed to know if you we

ed a hand over his face, and Joanne noticed the calluses on his fingers,

me," he said eventually,

t tightened.

looked - and the air between

ed. "Coming here... it's not just a c

ied. "The landlady wa

They're not ghosts. Not th

him. "Then tell me what the

lmost too softly to hear: "S

x w

dn't

ou just left - no calls, no goodbye. And I kept thi

was sharp, immediate.

hy did

way. "Becau

burned. "That's

ly, like he ag

as louder than before. Outside, the rain softened to a mist

edy said, stepping

to stop him. "Wil

d on the doorknob.

oor clicking shut behin

softly. Her tea had gone cold. Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for her phone, ev

said he w

rawled into bed fully clothed, a

the curtains. Joanne woke with a stiffness in her bones,

s the town stretched awake. Victoria was beautiful in the way some

mall note stu

envelope, just her name

it with caut

clifftop. Noon.

it three times, then pressed it

was keeping... he was rea

sn't going

ared faintly in the background like a restless memory. Joanne slipped the note into her coat pocket and began to pac