Where the Tides Converge on You

In this timeline, I stand here alone on black sand while a storm brews in the distance. My skin is cold, and my gaze searches for nothing but emptiness.
But look closer at that divergent second where you step into frame. The wind shifts, carrying your cologne—warm cedar and rain—and suddenly this desolate shore becomes our sanctuary. Here, time dilates; I feel the ghost of a touch on my waist before it happens, anticipating the warmth that will eventually seep through these black fibers to thaw me from within.
In every possible future where you find me here in the grey light, the outcome is identical: this cold beach warms instantly under your gaze, healing a loneliness I didn't realize was freezing me alive.

Editor: The Clockmaker