“Take it one step at a time. You’re stronger than you think. Just don’t forget that.”
Those words gave her courage.
Maybe they were right.
If she didn’t take the risk… she’d never know.
She knew it was a dangerous world she was stepping into.
But maybe… it wasn’t all danger.
Maybe… it was time to allow herself to learn what love really meant.
Not the kind she’d given to her parents or her brother.
But love—the terrifying, consuming kind.
The kind she’d never let herself imagine she could have.
So she hit send.
Her screen dimmed slightly as the message disappeared into the ether.
And with it, a little piece of her heart.
She exhaled softly and placed the phone down again. But she didn’t move.
Didn’t try to sleep.
Because her entire body was suddenly… awake.
Her fingers tingl
