Chapter 44 One Step At A Time

• The morning after the storm, Ava woke with a heaviness that had settled deep into her chest. The rain had stopped, but the remnants of the night still lingered-both the storm outside and the one inside her. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts a jumble of old emotions and new doubts.
• Alexander was in the next room, likely still asleep. His presence was a strange comfort, but it also made her question everything she thought she knew about herself. Hadn't she moved on from him? Hadn't she convinced herself that she could be happy without him?
• But seeing him again had opened a door she thought was sealed shut. His apology, his vulnerability-things she had never thought she would hear from him-had cracked her defenses wide open. It wasn't just the words, though. It was the way he had looked at her. How could she ignore that?