It happens late.
Too late to be accidental.
My phone lights up with an unknown number.
No name. No context.
Just a single message.
Unknown:
I needed distance to see clearly.
My breath catches.
I don't reply right away.
That's the growth.
A month ago, I would have chased this. Begged for clarity. Demanded explanation.
Now I sit with it.
Cassian is asleep beside me. One arm thrown over my waist, trusting in a way that suddenly feels fragile.
I type.
Delete.
Type again.
Finally:
Me:
Distance doesn't erase impact.
Three dots appear.
Disappear.
Nothing else comes.
I stare at the ceiling, heart pounding, realizing something important:
Jude didn't disappear to heal.
He disappeared to regain control.
And I'm not the same woman he left behind.