Divine Affinity

41

Four weeks later...

Eiry stood in the middle of the bedroom, her heart sinking as she took in the sight before her. He had taken everything. Nothing that belonged to him was there. The once cluttered wardrobe that held all of Eddie's belongings was now completely empty. It was the worst welcoming home ever. She knew he left, but part of her still hoped that knowing she was finally coming back home that he'd be there or that his things were still there, it would mean there was still hope. Memories flooded back to her - the late nights spent talking and laughing, the shared dreams and aspirations they had planned together. And now, it was all gone. Tears welled up in Eiry's eyes as she realized that he had left without a word, taking everything with him. The emptiness of the room mirrored the emptiness she felt inside. Where could he be? She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to understand.

Confusion, hurt, and anger all swirled within her as she tried to make sense of his departure. She could not understand why he would leave her in such a vulnerable state, especially when they were supposed to be leaning on each other for support during this difficult time. Her heart ached with his absence, the man she thought she could rely on no matter what. She felt betrayed and abandoned, wondering if their relationship was truly as strong as she had believed. Part of her understood. She knew him, but she just did not want to accept it. He felt guilty and guilt was something he could not bear. But this time his attitude left her to question if their love was enough to overcome such a devastating loss. A loss he left her to deal all alone. Still, in the midst of her grief, the weight of his absence weighed heavily on her heart, leaving her with more questions than answers.

"Hey..." She felt two hands resting on her shoulders and lips on the top of her head. "Shouldn't you be resting?" Eiry turned around with teary eyes.

"Stone..." She gasped. "Do you really not know where he is?" He shook his head. "Jeff?" He shook his head again. "Mike?"

"Eiry..." His fingers closed firmly around her shoulders and his gazed locked in hers. "We don't know. We aren't hiding anything. These four weeks you ask us time and time again, but we don't know. He didn't say anything to any of us. He just vanished."

"He has to be somewhere..." Eiry sat on the bed and Stone sat by her side. His hand rested on her knee, patting her tenderly.

"You should worry about your recovery. Don't you think?" Eiry looked at him. "You haven't talked about what happened not even once. You need to talk to someone. If not us, maybe a professional, but you need to talk. You need to grieve..."

"I need to find him." She affirmed. Her lips trembled and she took a deep breath to control her emotions. "I am grieving. Don't think I am not. We waited for that baby for more than a year and it was taken away by..." Stone interrupted her.

"...someone you don't want in prison."

"She needs help. Prison is not going to give her the help she needs."

"Ok... I am not going to argue about it anymore."

Eiry took another look around. The room felt cold and lifeless without his presence, a stark reminder of how much she missed him despite everything. She couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness in her life without him by her side. His laughter, his warmth, his love - all gone now, leaving a void that seemed impossible to fill. Every corner of the room whispered memories of their time together, making her ache for his return. Tears welled up in her eyes. Without him, everything felt meaningless and hollow. She knew she needed to bring him back into her world.

"I need to find him, Stone." She looked at her friend again. "I need..." Stone held both her hands.

"You need to rest. You're not fully recovered. You heard the doctor today. He said you could come back home, but you still needed to rest."