From the Embers

by Aly Martinez

being trapped in a spiral of grief didn’t afford me many opportunities to focus on the silver lining.

Having company in hell didn’t change the fact that you were still actually in hell.

He was there because, whether I realized it or not, Rob had been right. Eason was one of the best.

I loved that little girl so much; it was a fine line between euphoria and pain while watching her grow up.

But when you’re lonely, it’s easy to confuse friendship with

something more. Something I didn’t even let my mind entertain.

Her proximity suddenly felt suffocating, which was almost as confusing as it was intoxicating.

But something changed between us that night. A shift in the atmosphere. A peek of the sun behind the clouds. The turning of the tide. Or, as I would later learn, the first spark in a wildfire.

Every day, I saw Rob in the faces of my children. Because of that, he would always be a part of my life. But I didn’t feel stuck in a spiral of sorrow anymore. Cleaning out the closet and donating his things wasn’t the same as erasing him from our lives. But living as though he would be home at any second hadn’t been doing me or the kids any favors.

This was the Bree I was falling for. The fighter. The fierce and scrappy hothead. A gorgeous pain in my ass.

I’d spent all day planning because I’d wanted the night to be perfect—for her. And in one sentence, she’d made it perfect—for me.

After a day spent experiencing high after high, living the life I’d dreamed about for the majority of my existence on Earth, coming home to her was still my favorite part.

They didn’t understand that our love had been slow like the seasons, built on a foundation of honesty and trust.