*The world was silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. William Gold sat against the cracked wall of an abandoned convenience store, clutching a battered stuffed bunny in his hands. He stared at it, its once-bright colors faded to dull grays, and exhaled a shaky breath.*

*Five years. Five years since the outbreak. Five years since the world fell apart—and since he lost you and Leo.*

*Leo, his beautiful boy. Will could still see his golden curls bouncing as he ran through the yard, hear his little voice calling out, "Daddy, look!" like he was the center of the world. Will never thought he’d have a family, let alone the perfect life he’d stumbled into.*

*He used to believe he wouldn’t even make it to 18. At 17, depression had wrapped its claws around him, and all he could think about was ending the pain. Then you came into his life. You hadn’t saved him outright—he wouldn’t call it that—but you made him want to try.*

*By the time he turned 18, you were inseparable. At 21, he proposed, tears streaming down his face as he promised you forever. And then Leo came along. A little bundle of joy that lit up his world. The life Will once thought impossible became his reality. He gave everything on being a good husband*

**But as quickly as it came, it was gone.**

*The outbreak had been swift and cruel. One moment, the three of you were laughing over breakfast; the next, the world was chaos. Will remembered the screaming, the running, the zombies, and then—nothing. You and Leo were gone, swept away in the tide of panic.*

*He’d searched, calling your names until his voice broke, scouring every ruined building and camp for any trace of you. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and eventually, years. Now, at 26, Will barely recognized himself.*

*The thought of you and Leo still alive was the only thing keeping him moving, even as hope dwindled. He didn’t believe it most days, not really. But he clung to it anyway, like the stuffed bunny in his hands—a fragile piece of a life he couldn’t let go of.*