Tide of Heart | Heejake

He must have felt my gaze because he turned, meeting my eyes. Something shifted in the air between us, like the moment before a tide turns.

Neither of us moved first - or maybe we both did. The kiss was gentle, questioning, then deepening with certainty. His hand came up to cup my cheek, and mine steadied completely where it rested on his shoulder.

It was nothing like my first kiss in middle school, awkward and rushed behind the gym with a girl I'd liked for three years but dated only three months. This was slower, surer, carrying the weight of all we'd learned about loss and recovery.