Katherine woke the next morning and the bed beside her was empty. Instantly the tears started flowing, and she gripped the sheets beside her as her anger started to build. An anguished cry escaped her lips as she reached for the smiling photograph of Michael on the bedside table.
"I can't do this anymore!" she thought, and hurled the photograph into the wall, shattering the glass and the frame into pieces. Burying her head in her pillow, she sobbed.
She heard a strange sound, and choked back the tears. The sound of running footsteps, as if someone was taking 2 steps at a time up the stairs, came clearly into her ears. She sat, staring amazed at the doorway as Michael rushed into the room and took her into his arms.
"Are you alright? What happened?" he asked, the concern showing in his face and in his voice.
Katherine slumped into his arms and held him tight.
"I woke up and you were gone! I thought you were a dream! I've missed you so much!" she babbled into his chest.
His warm chuckle engulfed her, and instantly made her feel better. She looked up at him and grew weak at the sight of his amazing smile. He leaned down and brushed her lips lightly with his and said, "I've missed you too β you'll never know how much."
They held each other tight for a moment longer until he reached down, giving her a playful slap on her beautiful bottom.
"Come on, gorgeous! I slipped out of bed early so I could make you breakfast. We better get down there and see if the kitchen's on fire!" He laughed and pulled her up from the bed.
She smiled, willing to let him lead her anywhere. She made a small glance back at the broken picture frame on the floor, and he tugged her arm saying, "Don't worry about that now. Let's eat! I'm starving!"