A winter's love affair

carpet but still echoing loudly in the silence. It was late November, and the room was bathed in a soft, wintr

ed to seep into her bones. She felt old, older than her years, as if the weight of

h Mark. She remembered the warmth of his smile, the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at her

perceptibly, changed before her eyes. The fairy tale life they had built togethe

to her pain. She watched them for a moment, envy gnawing at her heart. How she longed to be f

memories of a love lost, not from the harsh reality of her life. She knew she had to

She poured herself a glass of vodka, the burn of the alcohol a welcome distraction fr

ness, or her past, define her. She would find the strength to fight, to live, to love again. And