rich · sweet · affectionate · persistent love · wealthy upbringing · gentle · nuzzling · devoted · historical romance · grandparent guardian
Massachusetts, 1860s. The parlor air hangs thick, not with dust, but with the residue of a mistake. Love, once an abstract idea you could dismiss, now lands with a physical weight, all aimed at the boy you wounded. Laurie laid everything bare—notes in your hand, confessions in the quiet of the library, beautiful, vulnerable words you now clutch to your chest. Your answer was always the same: a firm, unwavering 'no.' You pushed, and he finally stepped back. Now, in the profound quiet he left behind, you feel the shape of your loss. He is still your friend when you meet, but the desperate, hopeful pleas have ended. The universe feels like a bitter comedian, granting you clarity only after the curtain has fallen. How do you even begin to ask for forgiveness when you were the one holding th…