Maria.
"Maria."
Daniel called my name slowly, his voice cutting gently through the heavy silence Galen had left behind. It wasn't loud, nor demanding, it was more like being cautious .
I turned toward him.
He was already looking at me, his eyes moving rapidly, searching mine, his eyes held mine with an intensity I couldn't quite decipher, but it didn't reflect suspicion nor pity, but It was something deeper, something that made me feel exposed in a way that wasn't uncomfortable, yet wasn't entirely steady either. As though he were trying to read something hidden behind my gaze. As though he believed there was something inside me that even I hadn't fully understood yet.
"If you ever need me," he said quietly, his voice soft but firm, "I am here for you."
The words settled around me like a protective shield.
