The room was still, except for the soft hum of a clock that seemed to echo the rhythm of her heart. He stood by the doorway, his suitcase in hand, eyes shadowed by the weight of unspoken words. This was the moment they had dreaded, the moment when physical distance would stretch between them like an ocean.
"Goodbyes," he began, his voice trembling, "are harder than I imagined."
She smiled, a bittersweet curve of her lips, and shook her head gently. "Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes," she said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing within her. "For us, love isn't confined to what we see or touch. It's here," she pressed a hand to her chest, over her heart, "and here," her hand moved to her temple.
He nodded, tears pooling in his eyes but not falling. "So this isn't goodbye?"
"Never," she whispered. "For those who love with heart and soul, there is no such thing as separation."
As he turned and walked away, the door closing softly behind him, she felt no emptiness, no void. Their bond was unshakable, a thread of light woven between two hearts that no distance could sever.
Outside, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson. She watched it, her heart swelling with a love that transcended the limits of time and space. Even as the physical world pulled them apart, her soul felt him close, as if he had never left.