Chapter 1
The sun hasn't yet touched the glass,
but I am already tracing the line of your shoulder, memorizing the quiet rhythm of your breath to carry in my pocket like a polished stone.
I pull on my coat like a heavy shadow.
I am standing in the doorway,
halfway between the world that demands me and the bed that holds my heart.
My feet haven't even hit the gravel,
yet I am already counting the hours backward, aching for the moment I can untie my boots and find my way back to this stillness.
I leave,
but I am already coming home.
