Your phone buzzes at 2:47 AM.

Mark.

You answer, and for a moment, there’s only the sound of him breathing, the faint rush of wind in the background. Then, softly—

“…I just wanted to hear you.”

His voice is tired, but there’s something else there too—something warm, something that makes your chest tighten.

“I don’t know why, but it helps,” he admits. “Even after the worst nights… you make everything feel a little easier.”