After Daniel

Because sometimes, the second chapter is the one worth living for.

I thought my story ended the day Daniel died.

The world didn't just lose its color-it lost its meaning. Every sunrise felt like a mistake, every breath an obligation.

Then I met him.

Mack is nothing like the man I loved. He's rough edges and sharp lines, all muscle and mischief, with a past that should warn me away. But there's something in his eyes-something raw and unspoken-that calls to the pieces of me I thought were gone for good.

He doesn't try to fix me. He doesn't tell me to move on. He just stands there, solid and stubborn, until I start to believe maybe I could let go of the past.

But loving again after loss isn't simple. The grief is still there, waiting for the dark days. And Mack has his own ghosts... ones that could rip us apart before we even begin.

If I give my heart to him, am I honoring what I lost-or risking everything I have left?

Trigger Warnings:

- Miscarriage (happens off page in the past)

- Loss of a loved one

- Grief, panic, anxiety

- Hospital scenes 

- References to domestic abuse (nothing on the page)