I empty my lungs in a long breath, pull her forward so her chest presses against mine, and wind one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist. Her arms go around me, and though her grip is loose, she doesn’t move away. I hold her for several seconds, breathing her in as I memorize the rhythm of her heart once again. It’s a tune I need to hear nearly as badly as I need to feel her—confirm her presence when her ghost has been my constant companion for the past couple of weeks.
