Prologue
Home.
It's not just a place with walls and a roof.
It's not merely a structure that offers shelter.
Sometimes, home is a person. It's in their arms, in their smile, in their warmth.
With an absent father and a problematic mother, I never thought I'd find one.
I stopped hoping for it and accepted my fate.
Then, amidst all the chaos of my life, he appeared, inevitable yet unexpected. Everything was meant to remain as it was, but his presence altered everything.
He became my shelter.
My home.
There he was, standing in the middle of the field, where golden-brown grass stretched as far as the eye could see. The dried grass swayed gently under a clear blue sky.
The place where he used to take me secretly, risking getting caught by his brother.
"Simon..." I called out.
"Khloe." he replied, his lips moving as he turned to look at me.
Dead grasses crisped under my shoes as I made my way to him. Slowly, my steps grew faster until I realized I was running.
Simon extended his arms as I almost threw myself into his embrace, wrapping my arms around him.
He held me tightly, as if afraid I would disappear if he didn't.
"I've missed you..." I whispered, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear.
"I've missed you too." he whispered back.
