Quote: "Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual respect, and two souls that dance in the same rhythm when silence is the only music." - Ann Landers


Her eyes searched mine, and in that fleeting moment, our worlds collided like two comets hurtling through the vast expanse of space. Her name was Lila, a fiery spirit with a laugh that could warm the coldest of hearts. We met in the most unexpected of places, the local diner where I grabbed a cup of coffee before my shift. The aroma of brewing beans and sizzling bacon was the backdrop to our first encounter.

Lila sat in the corner booth, her...