She found herself falling in love with him all over again, as if her heart had forgotten the years and decided to start anew. Every glance, every memory, made her believe he was still the best thing that had ever happened to her. And he was, at least in her eyes. He was everything she wanted, and somehow even more than that, as though her dreams had taken shape in his form.

But while she reached out with her whole being, he barely took a step. He never came close enough, not even halfway, still trapped in a rhythmless existence, moving through life on autopilot. The days slipped by, and then the months, until time itself seemed to dissolve into repetition. Their love grew quieter, its edges fading. The warmth of touch disappeared, and in its absence she began to feel hollow, wandering through the spaces they once shared.

Yet even in her loneliness, her heart betrayed her. Somewhere inside, she was still searching for him, for his eyes, for the comfort of his hand. She longed for the man he once was, or perhaps the man she believed he could be, and that hope, fragile and stubborn, refused to let her go.

~Corina