ofia, there

ways there, quietly tucked into the edges of everything. Like the last note of

-

een his first

st

st

hear

t unsettled him: Art major, Loud laughter, Unapologetic opinions.

loved tha

ly, and had once painted a mural across the bac

ide him on a Thursday morning. "I want to hear wh

rld had ot

o did

an had accepted a scholarship to an arts residency in Sp

Called daily, Sent lo

onths bec

then

ls shorter. The "I love you" at the end of each mess

really b

le c

a version of him tha

d to believe love

-

his apartment, listening to the soft noise of the city and the rhythmic hum of the ceiling f

ia's touch, her voice, the way she'd said "If t

letters, dated Augus

but I also know I need to become someone outside of us, and maybe you need t

pped the letter

ved L

d trusted

im to build walls, soft ones, invi

y Sofia s

ting in before he c

-

uieter than before, the air still heavy from the week's rain. As

ow r

n's fa

, when the world overwhelmed her. He'd tuck them behind her e

all bunch and

the kitchen table. Charlie watched in curio

stop staring a

-

d later tha

said yesterday, About i

w", he

n a

e slow

answered.

esponse, he knew the slow

ween them had

t loud,

eady a

nt that doesn't a

direc

-

ijah opened hi

wro

both. But here's what I do know: there's something in the way she looks at me that brings

ed the

ver to t

d her name l