here the sounds of the wind and the rustling leaves became the only things that could break the silence. But for Luke, the silence was unbearable. The quiet had become a constant comp

re the people of Eldergrove gathered to forget their worries, if only for a little while. But tonight, it seemed different. The dim light that spilled from the windows did little to pierce the oppressive darkness that surrounded the town. He stood there for a long moment, unsure of what to do. The words he had rehearsed in his mind, the words that he had been dying to say for years, swirled around in his head, but they felt hollow, as if they had no meaning anymore. A soft voice broke through the silence. "You've been standing out here for a while." Luke's head snapped around to see Mary approaching, her dark cloak trailing behind her as she walked toward him. Her face was illuminated by the faint glow of the street lamp, her features sharp and defined, her eyes filled with the weight of everything she had seen and experienced. "I was just thinking," Luke said, his voice low. He couldn't quite meet her gaze, his eyes instead fixed on the ground between them. Mary stopped a few steps away from him, her expression unreadable. "Thinking about what?" she asked, her tone surprisingly gentle. Luke hesitated. He could feel the words pressing against his chest, desperate to be spoken, but the fear of rejection kept him rooted in place. He had never been good at expressing his feelings. He was a man of action, not words. But for the first time, he realized that it wasn't enough just to fight. He had to tell her the truth. "You," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. Mary's brow furrowed slightly as she looked at him, confusion flickering in her eyes. "Me?" Luke nodded, swallowing hard. He could feel his pulse racing, his hands clammy as he fought to hold onto his composure. "I've known you for a long time, Mary. And I've... I've loved you for just as long. Ever since we were kids." There was a long pause. The wind seemed to grow still, and the air between them