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A fter breakfast, the time has come for me to return Red to her reality. I lead her to the front door, Raven and Shadow following closely behind. Raven wraps his sweatshirt around her. “I’m going to miss you, Red.” He speaks with a hint of playfulness in his voice, trying to mask the heaviness of the moment. But I can tell from his expression that he feels it just as deeply as I do, and I know Shadow does too.

Raven cups Red's face tenderly between his hands and presses his lips fervently against hers before she can respond. She stumbles back slightly as he releases her, her fingers flying up to her lips in surprise. I chuckle at her reaction as she regains her composure. "Me too," she finally says, still caught up in the kiss.

“There are flip-flops in front of you on the ground,” I offer as she nods, gratefully slips them onto her feet.

“Thank you,” she replies, her head searching. Shadow takes her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before planting a kiss on her cheek. "Goodbye, Shadow."

"Goodbye, sweetheart," he replies, causing Red to blush from his endearment.

I take her hand again and place her clutch and phone into it, guiding her out the door. We leave Shadow and Raven behind to clean up the house after our weekend together.

Once we are settled in the van, I drive toward the city. "Where are you taking me?" Red asks, holding up her clutch. "Did you look at my driver's license?"

"No," I respond as I focus on the road ahead. "I will take you into the city and then you'll have to find your own way home. Okay?"

She nods thoughtfully, turning her head to peer out the window as if trying to see through the blindfold. "So you don't even know my name?"

I chuckle again as we continue our journey. "No, just your initials. And thank you for that, by the way. You know I've never let anyone cut me before."

"Why did you let me?" she asks, turning her head back to face me.

A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I struggle to articulate the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. "It's more than just an act of claiming… it's a connection on a deeper level. In that moment, I trusted you and wanted nothing more than to be joined with you."

"Are we connected on a deeper level?" She asks, her voice filled with hope and vulnerability. I reach over to take her hand in mine as I navigate the road ahead.

"Yes," I reply, my voice steady and sure. "And this weekend with you will stay etched in my mind for a long time."

She nods, resting her head back against the seat. The soft rays of sunlight filter through the window, casting a warm glow on her delicate features. "Me too," she whispers softly. "If I ever need to see you again, can I email you?"

A surge of warmth floods through me at her words and without hesitation, I bring her hand to my lips and press a gentle kiss to the back. "Please do," I say, my heart fluttering at the thought of seeing her again.

The rest of our ride is filled with a heavy, palpable silence as I drive into the city, eventually coming to a stop next to the park. I break the silence. "This is where I leave you." As she nods in understanding, she turns toward me and reaches out to touch my face tenderly. I lean into her touch with a deep sigh, savoring this small moment of connection.

"Goodbye, Blade," she whispers softly before quickly hopping out of the van without another word.