"A Life of Empty Spaces"

Two weeks had passed since they had said goodbye to Ashton, and the ache within Ashley and Ryan felt like an open wound that refused to heal. They sat on the sofa, grief-stricken, surrounded by the familiar comforts of their home, but everything felt different now. The colors seemed duller, the furniture seemed emptier, and the silence was deafening. Ashley stared blankly at the wall, her eyes dry from crying, but her heart still heavy with sorrow. Ryan sat beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, but even his touch couldn't ease the pain. They had thought that with time, the grief would become manageable, but it felt like it was suffocating them, squeezing the air out of their lungs. The TV was on, but they weren't watching. The sound of laughter and chatter from the sitcom seemed cruel, a reminder of the happiness they once knew. Ashley got up and turned it off, the sudden silence a welcome respite from the cacophony of emotions. Ryan looked at her, his eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep and excessive crying. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I feel like I'm failing you, like I'm not doing enough to make this better." Ashley shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "You're not failing me, Ryan. We're in this together. We're both failing to move on, but that's okay. We don't have to be okay right now." Ryan pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close as they both cried. They had thought that they would be strong, that they would be able to face this together, but the truth was, they were barely holding on. As they cried, Ashley's mind wandered back to Ashton, to the brief time they had with him, to the memories they had created. She remembered the first time she held him in her arms, the way he felt in her hands, the way he looked at her with those big brown eyes. She remembered Ryan's smile, the way he beamed with pride as he held their baby boy. The memories flooded her mind, and she felt like she was drowning in them. Ryan felt it too, she could sense it. They were both lost in their grief, unable to find their way back to shore. As they finally calmed down, Ashley pulled back and looked at Ryan. "What's next?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Ryan shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we'll figure it out, together. We'll find a way to honor Ashton's memory, to keep him alive in our hearts." Ashley nodded, a small smile on her face. It was a tiny glimmer of hope, but it was enough to keep them going, to keep them moving forward, one step at a time.