Prologue

There are losses that never truly end. They change shape, settle into new corners of the soul, but they never fully leave. This book was born from an absence. From a silence that screamed louder than any word. From a promise I whispered when everything hurt: to live for you.

For a long time, writing was the only way I knew how to breathe when the air kept slipping away. And in the midst of it all, there were lights: my friends who never let go of my hand, the memories that held me with tenderness, and the dreams where I could still find you.

This book is not just a story. It is a piece of my soul. It is every letter I never sent, every tear I learned to turn into strength, and every page that reminded me I'm still here. That I'm still going. Still breathing. Still living.

And if you, holding this book in your hands, are also carrying grief, a wound, a goodbye... I want to tell you something:

You are not alone. This is not just my journey. It is ours. And if at any moment you feel like you can't go on, come back to these pages. Let this story hold you, the way you're holding me by reading it.

Welcome. And thank you for being here.