A couple days had passed since Gabby saw her mom, and she'd been taking time for herself like she asked. She wasn't ready to talk much, but Zay was still there, always by her side. He knew she wasn't okay, but he respected her space and just let her do her thing. He'd still kiss her forehead every time he saw her, held her when she got too quiet, and made sure she knew he was there, no matter what.
One morning, Zay woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. Gabby was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her cup like she'd been doing it for hours. Her hair was still wrapped up in a bun, and she looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep. But she was sitting there, calm, finally looking like she was getting herself back together.
"Morning, baby," Zay said, rubbing his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. He wasn't expecting her to be up this early. Usually, she'd sleep in after everything that happened.
"Morning," she said softly, but this time, her voice didn't crack. She seemed stronger today.
Zay pulled out a chair and sat across from her, looking at her with concern still in his eyes. "How you feeling today?"
Gabby took a deep breath and sighed. "Better. I don't know if I can ever get over seeing her like that. But I think I'm okay now... or at least I'm getting there."
Zay nodded, not saying anything for a moment. He could see the hurt still in her eyes, but he was proud of her for pushing through. "I know it's hard, baby. But you're strong. You don't have to carry all that weight by yourself no more. I got you."
Gabby smiled faintly, nodding. She didn't say anything for a while, just staring into her coffee. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, though. She just needed a minute to breathe.
"I been thinking," she said after a while, still staring down into her cup. "Maybe it's time I let go of the past. I can't keep holding on to what happened with her. I need to focus on what's here now. What's with us."
Zay smiled, his heart swelling with love for her. "That's right. Let the past go, baby. We got a future together now. And I'm not going anywhere. You and me—this is what matters now."
Gabby's lips curved into a soft smile as she looked up at him. It wasn't one of those big, bright smiles, but it was real. And for Zay, that was enough. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.
"You ready to head out today? Let's go do something fun, get your mind off things," Zay suggested, hoping to get her to loosen up a little.
Gabby thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. I could use some time out. But no fancy stuff, okay? I'm just trying to keep it chill."
Zay laughed, giving her hand a squeeze. "I got you. Whatever you wanna do."
As the day went on, they spent it together, doing small things that Gabby had always liked. They took a walk in the park, grabbed some food at a hole-in-the-wall spot, and just chilled. Gabby didn't want anything fancy. She didn't need to prove anything to anyone. Right now, all that mattered was the peace she felt with Zay by her side.
When they got back to the house that evening, Zay walked in first and looked back at Gabby. She was smiling. Not the fake smile, but the one that meant she was starting to heal.
"See?" Zay said with a grin. "You're coming back to life. I told you I'd take care of you."
Gabby rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, yeah. You right."
As they settled in for the night, Zay pulled her close, kissing her forehead gently. "No matter what happens, we got this. I'm here, always."
Gabby closed her eyes, finally feeling the weight lift off her shoulders. She still had a long road ahead of her, but for the first time in a while, she didn't feel alone.
And that was enough.
To Be Continued...
