“Thank you for being here. For not running away.”
“Running away?” I smile. “I'm more committed now than ever. I won't deny that all of this scares me, but I'm not leaving. I couldn't.”
She leans toward me and rests her head on my shoulder. We stay like that for a while, in silence. Only the rhythmic breathing of Candace fills the room. It's a fragile moment, yet immensely meaningful.
“You know something?” she whispers, almost as if she doesn't want me to hear her. “Sometimes I wonder if Candace will understand why I left them without giving explanations.”
“You did what you had to do. And if they're changing, that's good… but it doesn't erase what you lived before, nor what you need now.”
She nods without saying anything. I gently stroke her hair, trying to calm that whirlwind I know s
