A month had gone by since that pivotal night and still she found it hard to motivate herself to start each day. As the morning light stirred her senses, the emptiness left by his departure starkly solidified her reality. She was alone.

Her cat jumped down to the floor at her sudden movement to push out of bed. He began to rub Jane’s ankles with his head.

“Hello Mr. Bingley! Are you hungry?” She warmly asked as she bent down and rubbed his neck.

His only response was to rush off in search of food.

Rising to feed the cat, she followed his furry steps to the kitchen, where she filled his bowl, pushed the button on the coffee maker and turned on the local news to check traffic. The day began and she was ever more grateful for the simple chores that pushed her forward.

Morning routines were getting better, as was her life without Stephen. Other than the few quiet moments in the morning, she had no time to give him any more attention.

Jane’s work was more than she could manage with a major exhibit she was working on and a trip overseas a few days away. It was every bit acceptingly distracting as was the opportunity to get out of town and maybe give her a new perspective on love and what the future possibly could hold for her. Jane knew time would heal her. She just had to keep the faith, move forward and let time do its magic, taking her where she needed to go.