"Lifeline"
The slam of his fist on the kitchen table reverberated around the cabin. She was gone. There was nothing left to do. He shouldn't care, he told himself, she'd hurt him, but he did. The gentle touch of a hand on his arm softened his demeanor. Turning to face the young woman beside him, he let the first tear fall. She stepped forward and brushed the droplet from his cheek. Enfolding him within his arms, he clung to his lifeline, the only thing keeping him from losing it.