“I love you.”
The words spill from my mouth. They’ve been in my heart, but this is the first time I voice them. I kiss Paul immediately after because I’m nervous about his response. He’s told me he loves me, but my heart feels vulnerable telling him. Butterflies flit in my stomach and mask the pain of my injuries. I sit in a chair of the medical tent at the Spring Fling 5K. My right leg rests on another chair and an icepack covers my knee. Paul stoops at my side and his fingers brush across my cheek.