“I promise I’ll be back, Noah. And you know how you can believe me?” “How?” he asks, with his eyes still closed. I take this moment to study him. To memorize every centimeter of his face. Every wrinkle, eyelash, and curve of his mouth. “Because I found a home and a family with this town and I love them.” I drag in a breath and cup his jaw, angling his face up toward me. “And I love you.”