once my eyes adjusted to the brightness—that’s when i first noticed him. a shovel in one hand, a mud-splattered heart in the other. i waved, offering a small, hopeful grin in his direction. a cautious smile grew in return. i so desperately wanted to say to him, you can do this, you know. you can come back from whatever it is that they did to you, but i knew he already knew that. he didn’t need any reassurances from me, just as i didn’t need any from him. but if nothing else, there is so much comfort to be found in knowing that we aren’t the only ones who feel like the freezing season will
...more
