The air was crisp and still, but the ache in your chest made every breath feel heavy. You sat on the edge of the garden steps, knees drawn to your chest, tears trailing silently down your cheeks.

You wiped at your face with trembling hands, staring out at the garden that had once been full of life but now looked as hollow as you felt. The days without Theodore had stretched into weeks, each one blurring into the next, leaving you raw with worry and unanswered questions.

Then, movement. A shadow shifting between the trees at the far edge of the garden.

At first, you didn’t trust your eyes. Your breath hitched, your heart faltering in its rhythm. But then the shadow stepped into the light, and it was unmistakable—the curve of his shoulders, the way his hair caught the faint glow of the setting sun.

"Theo…" you whispered, voice breaking, as if saying his name too loudly might shatter the fragile moment. "Theo..."

He turned, and the second his eyes met yours, your body moved before your mind could catch up. You ran.

Your feet barely touched the ground as you raced toward him, the tears coming faster now, your voice trembling with equal parts disbelief and relief. "Theo!"

And then, you were there, crashing into his arms, his warmth instantly anchoring you. He held you tightly, his hands pressing against your back, his face buried in your hair.

"I'm here," he murmured, his voice low and steady, a balm to your fractured heart. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

You clung to him, your fists curling into the fabric of his shirt as if letting go might cause him to vanish again. For a moment, the garden was still once more, but this time, the stillness felt whole.

You didn’t need answers. Not yet. All that mattered was this—his arms around you, and the sound of his heartbeat against your ear.