Daniel and Marian didn’t sleep after the call with his mother.
Sleep wasn’t even possible.
The apartment felt different now—too small, too quiet, too far away from where they were supposed to be. The city noise outside no longer sounded vibrant. It felt distant. Irrelevant.
Daniel sat at the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. Marian watched him for a moment before moving closer. He reached for her without looking, pulling her into a tight embrace.
His arms wrapped around her like he was holding on to the only steady thing in the room.
“I’m sorry, my love,” Daniel said softly, his voice strained. “If I sounded like I regret coming here with you… I don’t. I don’t regret being here with you.”
He tightened his hold slightly.
“What I don’t like,” he continued, “i
