Chapter 50: Hope

I was gone for a moment because nature called me. I sat back in my seat on the plane, my eyes fixed on the clouds outside. As I gazed out, I couldn't help but think of Athara, hundreds of miles away.

The distance between us always seemed so immense when I was on the road, and it weighed heavily on my mind. I shook my head because of the thought. I must think positively that our distance would become narrow. Whenever I thought of her, a warmth spread through my body that took the edge off the separation.

I remembered the last time we were together, I took her for granted and I was afraid to tell her I love her. I smiled at the thought of her infectious stare and the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled.

I reached for my phone and scrolled through pictures of her, feeling a sense of comfort and connection despite the physical distance between us. I hope this comfort won't be taken from me. I longed to hold her close, to wrap my arms around her and feel the beating of her heart against