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Ally sat in her chair, back to her desk, staring out the window. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the world outside. Everything looked blurred and colourless in the wake of Billy's death.
The door creaked open softly, but she didn’t turn around. Footsteps approached, careful and quiet.
A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder. She knew who it was even before she looked up.
John Cage stood beside her, his expression was full of empathy and sorrow. He let the silence linger before speaking.
"Ally, grief… it’s a peculiar companion, isn’t it? It arrives uninvited, settles in our hearts, and refuses to leave quietly. But, in a way, it’s the evidence of love, the depth of what Billy meant to you, to all of us."
He paused with kindness in his eyes, though pain was there too.
"You once told me that love never truly leaves, that it lingers in our hearts and memories, colouring every corner of our world. Billy’s gone, but the impact he had on all of us, and most of all on you, was indelible. It’s okay to feel shattered right now. We piece ourselves back together slowly, and it never looks quite the same, but… that’s the beauty of being human, isn’t it? Nothing slips away entirely."
His voice wavered, but he continued with compassion.
"And I’m here, Ally. Whatever you need, even if it’s just someone to sit in the silence with you, I’m here. We’ll navigate this together."
John’s words settled over her like a warm blanket and gave her a comfort she hadn’t realised she was so desperate for. Ally rose from her chair with unsteady steps and turned towards him. Without a word, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him as though clinging to the only solid thing in a world that had fallen apart. John held her close in strong and tender embrace, cradling her pain and shielding her from the emptiness.
In his arms, for the first time since Billy’s death, Ally felt a little less alone.
The end