The next day, I found Ella under her tree on the campus lawn. Even though this place had started out as Ella’s place, Ella’s tree, in a way, it had become our tree. It was a place that we could just escape the chaos of the world that we were constantly having to face.
Ella was reading a book, a pen between her mouth as she marked passages. She frowned and shook her head as if she didn’t agree with what she was reading. Then, as if she could feel my presence, Ella looked up.
Ella’s eyes lit up when she saw me, and she grinned.
“Hi,” she said, almost shyly.
“Hey, writing superstar,” I said and smiled.
Ella leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. She leaned into me and I couldn’t get enough of her body pressed against mine. I held her tightly, feeling the weight of the last few day
