Almost Eden

You knew.
She knew.
It was thick in the air —
like rain that never falls.

Her hand on the doorframe.
Yours in your pocket,
clenched around nothing.

The storm had passed.
But the heat hadn’t broken.

She looked at you
like you were the answer
to a question she wasn’t supposed to ask.

And you looked at her
like a man
measuring the cost of heaven.

Her lips parted—
not an invitation,
just a fact.

You could’ve.
She would’ve.

Instead,
you stepped back.
Said something soft.

She nodded.
Closed the door
like it meant nothing.

And Eden
slipped away
behind her.

Ryan Stone