Stolen Dawn

~VALERIE~

The morning air was cool against my skin as I knelt among the rose bushes, the dew still sticking to the petals like tiny diamonds.

It was barely past sunrise, and the garden was peaceful in a way that made my heart feel lighter.

This was my favorite time of day…when the world was quiet and I could pretend, just for a moment, that everything was simple.

I had been awake since four, unabl