Love did not fix everything overnight.
That was the cruel truth Gabriel learned first.
Remembering Naomi did not erase her pain.
Remembering Leon did not erase the months they spent believing he no longer wanted them.
And memory returning…
did not undo the damage.
The next morning felt painfully awkward.
Gabriel barely slept.
Not because he wanted rest.
Because every time he closed his eyes, guilt dragged him back awake again.
Naomi moved quietly around the apartment preparing breakfast while avoiding his eyes.
Not cold.
Not cruel.
Just careful.
As if getting too close to him again might reopen wounds she barely survived the first time.
And honestly?
Gabriel understood why.
Leon sat beside him eating quietly, still occasionally staring at Gabriel like he was afraid he might disappear again.
That look alone nearly destroyed Gabriel every single time.
“You should eat more,” Gabriel whispered softly.
Leon smiled shyly.
“You remembered that I hate vegetables.”
Gabriel froze instantly.
Then laughed weakly through tears.
Because he did remember.
Leon hiding vegetables beneath rice.
Naomi pretending not to notice.
Their tiny house filled with laughter.
The memory hurt beautifully.
Naomi quietly looked away the moment she heard Gabriel laugh.
Because she missed that sound more than she ever admitted.
But missing someone and trusting them again were not the same thing.
Later that day, Gabriel stood alone outside the apartment building while his driver waited nearby.
The black luxury car looked absurd parked beside the poor neighborhood.
Like another world invading theirs again.
Gabriel stared at it silently.
Then turned toward his...