Chapter 15 - BENEATH A CLEAR AND OPEN SKY
Two years after the birthday party that nearly cost me my life, Eric and I hosted a small, intimate gathering on the rooftop terrace of our new apartment building. There were no gold balloons, no glittering sashes, no three-tier cakes designed to feed an army of superficial acquaintances. Instead, there was a string of fairy lights, a table laden with fresh fruit and homemade bread from the bakery downstairs, and a circle of true friends who loved us unconditionally.
I stood by the rooftop railing, wearing a simple blue sundress, watching the sun dip below the horizon and paint the sky in shades of amber and rose. Footsteps approached softly behind me, and a familiar pair of arms wrapped securely around my waist.
Eric rested his chin on my shoulder, looking out at the city lights beginning to twinkle across the skyline. “Penny for your thoughts, Dr. Hale’s future colleague?” he teased gently.
May you like
I leaned back into his solid frame, taking a deep, uninterrupted breath of the warm evening air. My lungs felt expansive, clear, and completely free.
“I was just thinking,” I smiled, turning in his arms to look into his warm, steady eyes, “that the best part about today is knowing I can breathe entirely on my own.”
