CLAIRE

Julian came through the door at six thirty, he didn't look like a man who'd just won a major battle, he looked tired, relieved and quietly happy, like someone who'd finally put down something very heavy and was still getting used to the absence of the weight.

I met him in the hallway and he pulled me close immediately, his arms wrapping around me without a word. I held him back just as tight. "It's really over," I said against his shoulder.

"Yes" he confirmed.

We stayed like that for a moment, just being present in the reality of what that meant. When we separated, I noticed his eyes...