Game over.
he says, “power, control, respect… influence. But I never had this. I never had a family. I never had the love that makes you willing to risk everything for someone else’s safety, for someone else’s happiness.”
I nod, knowing exactly what he means, feeling it in the marrow of my bones. This is not power. This is not dominance. This is the quiet, unyielding force of devotion, of loyalty, of love so intense it can overwhelm every instinct of fear or self-preservation. And it is ours. Ours, and only ours.