Author note: Written for the Paint It Red challenge, to the prompt: When days become years.

The first day after Jane left was hard; Lisbon had no idea where he'd gone. She didn't know if he would come back, and that was the hardest part.

By the end of the first week, she'd become more consumed by her own unemployment, potential criminal charges, and bills mounting up.

But Jane was never far from her mind. As the days turned into years, she lost all hope of ever finding him. He was gone, he wasn't coming back.

Then the letter landed in her mailbox and everything changed.

Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope that he'd return.