First Meetings

Embraced in Ty's arms, Jade found herself overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. Each tear that slipped down her cheek carried the weight of the realization of what Ty had endured. Two long years he had battled through hardships unknown, transformed and alone, while she navigated her own trials. The guilt for even a moment's complaint about her circumstances paled in comparison to his ordeal, and this thought constricted her heart with a mix of admiration and sorrow.

Words seemed trivial, insufficient to bridge the gap of their prolonged separation, but Jade's heart ached to express the simplest truth - her deep longing for him. "I miss you," she yearned to say, yet the words tangled in her throat, unsaid.