Still Beating

by Jennifer Hartmann

You can’t tiptoe around your heart in fear of pissing people off or hurting their feelings. Sometimes we need to be a little selfish in order to avoid a life of complacency.”

Corabelle. I lose a breath as I reach for the white envelope, plucking it off the door and grazing my forefinger along my name written in black ink. I swallow hard as I tear open the seal, then a gasp squeaks out between my lips. My locket is tucked inside, along with a handwritten note: It’s still beating. You’re still okay. And I still love you. - Dean

Love is so many things I never thought about, never expected, never knew… and one of those things is being the best version of yourself you can possibly be, no matter how many obstacles stand in your way. No matter how dark, how hard, or how painful the road to recovery may be. No matter how many blows or setbacks try to drag you back down into the mud. We can’t give our heart to another without loving our own first. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

“What were you dreaming about? You were smiling.” Cora stretches out her arms, the bedsheet falling further down her hip and catching my attention. “Shakespeare.” I squint at her. “Hmm. Is that code for all the new ways I used my tongue last night?” She blushes, burying her face into the pillow with a laugh. I pull her to me until her nose is pressed to the top of my chest, her head right beneath my chin. Then I whisper against her hair, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

“Are you still mine?” Cora doesn’t hesitate. She reaches for my hand, placing it above her heart. “It’s still beating,” she says. Her face lights up with a radiant smile that looks exactly like how her heartbeat feels. “As long as it’s beating, I’m yours.”