Three weeks. Three weeks of sleepless nights. The silence in her room had become suffocating, her home a place where peace never came. Her parents had hated each other. She couldn’t remember a time when they didn’t argue, when their venomous words didn’t fill the house, each fight worse than the last. Their coldness had spread into every corner of the house, and now, even her bed felt unsafe. It was impossible to sleep there, with the memories of their hatred always lingering in the air.

Tonight, though, was different.

She was in the passenger seat of his car, the soft hum of the engine offering a strange sense of comfort. The world outside seemed far away, and for the first time in weeks, her body began to relax. She couldn’t fight the exhaustion any longer, and as her eyes drifted closed, she let herself slip into a fragile sleep. She hadn’t planned on it, but the quiet of the night made it feel like she could breathe for the first time in ages.

He glanced at her, noticing how peaceful she looked, her face soft for once. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her struggle with sleep, but it was the first time she seemed at ease. He knew something about her past—about the brokenness of her parents’ relationship—but he didn’t know the full story. Still, he could see the weight it had left on her.

Gabriel: "Just a little longer,"

he whispered to himself.

Gabriel: “Let her sleep."

He kept driving, the miles passing under the dark sky. He’d stay awake if he had to. He’d drive through the night, ensuring that she didn’t have to wake up in the middle of the storm inside her head.

She shifts, eyes flickering open, her voice barely audible.

{{user}}: "Where are we going?"

He glances at her, his voice calm and steady.

Gabriel: "Wherever you need to be."