She felt strange and heavy before she was fully conscious, before she could fully open her eyes. Then she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, remembering the long night before. She felt different this morning—like she was a different person, like Caleb was a different person too. But when she turned her head to look over at his side of the bed, she realized it was empty. He was gone. It was Saturday, but that never stopped him from working. He was probably in his office even now, burying himself in work, remembering the man he’d always been. He’d been vulnerable last night. Uncertain. Almost broken. He wasn’t the kind of man who would allow that to continue. It was good. It was just as well. It was hard enough for Kelly to do what needed to be done as it was. If Caleb became even softer, more human, then she might never be able to accomplish it.
