Hold On I Still Need You

-A Love Rekindled-

Sophie's POV:

The world around us seems so far away, like it's on pause, and for the first time in a while, I feel like I can actually breathe. Keefe and I found a quiet spot by the edge of a stream, a secluded part of the forest where sunlight trickles through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. It's the kind of place we've always gravitated to—a little oasis away from everything that pulls at us. Here, it's just us. No missions. No enemies. No expectations. It's just peace.

Keefe is lying back against a smooth rock, eyes closed, one arm resting over his stomach. He looks so relaxed, but I know he's always paying attention to me in ways I don't even realize. I think he noticed something in my expression—a shift that I wasn't even aware of. Without saying much, he pats the ground next to him, offering me a silent invitation to sit.

I slide down beside him, pulling my knees up to my chest as I gaze out at the peaceful flow of the stream. I've been holding a lot inside lately, emotions too big for words, but I don't feel the need to hide them right now. Maybe it's because I know Keefe won't push me to talk, but he's always there when I do.

"Foster," he says, his voice low and gentle. "We don't have to do anything right now. Just... be here with me."

His words sink into my heart, and for a moment, I let the silence wrap around us like a soft blanket. There's no pressure here—just the simple comfort of knowing we're together. I close my eyes and let the weight of everything we've been through wash over me. It's overwhelming, but somehow... not as heavy as before.

I don't know how long we sit like this, but when I finally speak, my voice is quieter than usual, like I'm afraid breaking the silence will make it all disappear.

"I'm glad we're here, Keefe," I say, not sure if I'm talking about this moment or everything that led up to it. But somehow, it feels like both.

Keefe's quiet but steady presence beside me gives me the courage to open up. I can feel his eyes on me as I start to speak, and I let the words come without trying to hold them back.

"There were so many times when I thought we wouldn't make it," I say, my voice trembling slightly. "So many times when I thought... we were too broken, too damaged. Like all of the battles we've fought would be the end of us, instead of the beginning of something better."

Keefe shifts beside me, the warmth of his hand brushing against mine. He doesn't say anything at first, just listens. His patience is something I've come to rely on, and it's the one thing I never take for granted.

"Do you ever wonder how we got here?" I continue, my gaze fixed on the stream, though I'm not really seeing it anymore. "How we survived everything that was supposed to tear us apart? I used to be so scared, Keefe. Scared that... I was too much of a burden. That everything we've been through would push you away. That we wouldn't make it out of the darkness together."

Keefe's voice is soft but steady when he answers. "Foster, I get it. I've had those same fears. But you've never been a burden to me. You've always been my anchor."

His words are a balm to my raw heart, soothing a pain I hadn't even realized I'd been carrying. I turn my head slightly to look at him, and his gaze meets mine with such intensity it feels like he's seeing the very core of me.

"I don't know if I could've made it through without you," he continues, his voice almost a whisper. "There were times when I wanted to give up, when everything felt like too much. But then I thought about you, about the way you never gave up on me. You... gave me hope, Sophie. When the world felt like it was falling apart, you were the one thing that kept me going."

I feel my chest tighten, emotions swelling in a way I can't fully put into words. His love, his strength—everything about him has been my lifeline in ways I'm only now beginning to understand.