The world around him was a blur of gray mist. The air was heavy, damp, clinging to his skin like a wet cloth. Leonard blinked, disoriented, his pulse hammering in his ears. Where was he? His surroundings seemed endless, a space with no walls, no sky, only a pale fog that breathed and shifted like it was alive.
Then, through the haze, a shape emerged.
"Katherine…" his voice cracked, low and hoarse, though he wasn't even sure he'd spoken out loud.
She was there. She looked the same as always, hair falling softly around her face, her posture tense but graceful, yet there was exhaustion carved into her every movement. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of bags, a backpack hanging from one arm, a shopping bag in the other. One of the twins tugged at her hand, whining, while the other sat on the ground clutching a toy, about to cry.
Leonard's chest tightened.
