Be Still My Heart

by Emily McIntire

“Deep wounds always leave a mark, killer. Some scar worse than others, and some don’t ever fully heal. They just scab over, muted and dulled until you prick them a certain way.” My chest throbs. “But there’s beauty in pain, baby.” His hands tilt my face until our gazes lock. “Your strength is in learning how to breathe through it; how to keep living even when it feels like you want to die.”