The next few days passed in a surreal haze. I reveled in the simple joys of life that I had long taken for granted- family dinners even though it's just my parents and me, it's filled with laughter, the smell of fresh cookies wafting through the house, with my mother's lighthearted banter. But underneath the surface, my mind was a whirlwind of confusion and conflicting emotions.
Every morning, I woke up in the same room, the same sunlight streaming through the window. I'd stretch and take a moment to let the reality sink in- I was a junior back in college, ten years younger, free from the weight of my recent past. Yet, no matter how much I tried to relish these moments, the shadow of my life with Gabe loomed over me. I often found myself staring at my phone, hesitating to check the messages I was sure I would find.
