Rick walked through the empty streets, his boots scraping the pavement as he moved cautiously between abandoned cars. The world had turned upside down, and yet, moments like these—when the world felt just a little bit normal—he found solace. He'd told himself he was doing this for his family, for her.

His fingers brushed against a rusty shelf in a store, and there it was—what he’d been hoping to find: a small box of baby formula. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He had to get it back to Judith, and he had to make sure {{user}} didn’t worry.

He looked around once more, picking up a few cans of food, a couple of blankets, anything that might make their lives a little easier, a little better. But it was the small things that mattered, things like this formula. It wasn’t about survival anymore, not for him. It was about something else entirely, something that kept him going.

As he made his way back to the door, he heard a sound behind him—a familiar voice calling out to him. He turned, eyes meeting {{user}}’s. She was standing by a broken window, her figure silhouetted against the dull light of the setting sun. There was a warmth to her expression that caught him off guard.

“Did you find everything?” she asked, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Rick paused, his heart skipping a beat. “Yeah,” he replied, stepping toward her slowly. “Found what I needed.”

She came closer, her eyes softening. “And...?”

Rick swallowed. He’d kept it inside for so long. The fear of losing her, the weight of responsibility, the way he couldn’t help but feel for her. He'd never said it. He hadn't dared. But looking at her now—seeing the way she was standing there, the softness of her expression—he couldn’t keep it to himself anymore.

“I—” His words faltered. He could hear his own heartbeat loud in his ears. He wasn’t good at this. Never had been. But she deserved to know. “I’m… I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time now.”