Prologue

Lauren was looking out her bedroom window at the dark wet afternoon. She felt alone, even though her family had visited before she left for college in a few days. Lauren had felt a piece of her heart missing and she couldn't figure out what it was. She tried almost everything imaginable to try and fill it, but nothing had. A missing puzzle piece of Lauren's lost heart was out there, in the cold, stormy afternoon.

          Her mother tried to remove Lauren from her prison. Lauren would not budge. She was too deep in thought. Thoughts of how she could fill the missing gap consumed her. Was it that she was lonely? Was there a special someone missing? One thing that could make Lauren feel better was her horses in the stables outside. They offered a short feel of comfort.

          A tear had trickled its way down Lauren's cold cheek. She sniffed as she rolled off her bed and stood on the soft carpet of her bedroom.

"Lauren", her mother asked as she poked her head through the door.

"Huh?" Lauren asked trying to hide her tears.

"Dinner is almost done." She just nodded her head and her mother closed the door behind her.

          Lauren wasn't in the mood for eating. She could smell the aroma of homemade potpie. That was her favorite meal, and she didn't feel the want to have any of it. The only thing she longed for was the missing piece of her life.

          Her phone lit up and buzzed. A guy she met when she visited the college a couple months back sent a text. They talked on and off ever since, and Lauren started to feel a bit better when they talked. She began to think he was the answer to her problem...

Author's Note

Picture: https://www.shutterstock.com/video/search/rain-on-window