He was warm and so she could curl up inside of him, living off this comfort, this heat from his energy. In their bed, she spooned inside him and he was generous with his love and strength, even in his sleep.

Strength – it was what she so very desperately craved; to be strong in these tedious and somber glances at a barren life. She wondered how he managed the heat, the security, and the basic ability to sleep again, perhaps to dream once more.

She had had but a glimpse at everything she had ever dreamed of, and had watched it self-destruct before her. All she’d ever wanted had been stolen from her. Now all she wanted was a life without this soul-wrenching burden. She needed to be able to live and remember how to breathe, and how to forget the pain.