Between Time and Us

"Sometimes love hides in the stillness of time, between what was and what could be - until the smallest footsteps bring it home again." It's strange, almost amusing how time plays tricks on you. People expect it to heal, to magically erase the pain-but what if it doesn't? I'm ALANA, walking these streets of Raleigh, North Carolina, a city that has given me everything: freedom, laughter, dreams... and yet, sometimes, a sense of loss. Among the fragments of myself I find along the quiet streets, Riha remains my secret anchor, the one thing that keeps me strong: RIHA A ping from my phone pulled me back to the present. I had left it on the kitchen island while I baked walnut and banana cookies-a small treat for someone special, someone I wanted to surprise. The oven timer rang, and I smiled, thinking of the small joys we can offer without words. I opened the message. A photo of tiramisu-my favorite. A flicker of happiness, a touch of anticipation. Time confuses you sometimes. Life turns into a puzzle, leaving you to wonder how the pieces will connect. And somehow, the same puzzle pieces keep returning-pieces I'm still trying to figure out, JAY...