Jodi LaPalm

Staring over him in the dim light of a side lamp, my tired eyes traced along the path of faint, yet emerging, lines etched around his equally-tired eyes. They'd become a permanent reminder of his ever-smiling face, and I wished__ven after all of these years together-that I could absorb some of his contentment.

He pulled me toward him, and all I could do was stand there with arms at my sides and head against his chest. Broken, I feared even the slightest movement would cause pieces of me to snap off and fall to the gritty pavement.

I'm not the same person I was before, and I am deathly afraid I will never be her again...

I have you with me, and I'm terrified you'll disappear.