Flower on the Third Floor

He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder.

“I don’t know,” I mutter, twisting in his arms to face him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I’ve been back for a little while.” Rafe kisses my cheek and breathes into the curve of my neck. “I called out to you, but you were staring out the window so intently, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Back for a few minutes? What is he doing back so early?

The light in the room is different. And a chill hangs heavy in the air. I face the window again, expecting bright sunlight and green grass fields filled with passersby, only to find the sun setting at the horizon and the lawn outside abandoned. But… It was just around high noon. I could tell from the light and the sun burning in the sky.

What is happening? Am I finally going insane after all these years?

“I noticed the flower in your hair when I came to hug you.” Rafe plucks the flower from my hair and twirls it in his fingers in front of us. “It’s beautiful. Where did you say y