The Echo of the Bells

The transition from partners to something more profound was like watching the world shift from black-and-white into vivid, high-definition color. For Evan Buckley, the last year had been a grueling marathon through the dark-first the suffocating grief of losing Natalia, then the terrifying, narrow-focused survival of a single father, and finally the literal jolt of lightning that nearly claimed his life. Through every peak and valley, Eddie Diaz had been the constant. He was the hand that held the light when the world went dim, the steady heartbeat that reminded Buck he was still grounded to the earth.