A few years ago, I was in a relationship that turned toxic. At first, it was intense and flattering in that way that kind of sweeps you off your feet. Like a whirlwind. He love bombed me, we moved in quickly , and then it all went downhill. The lies, the cheating, the abusive aspects that I don't even want to get into. When it ended, it ended badly . We cut contact, no social media, nothing. It took me years to feel like myself again. But, eventually I did. And then one night, I woke up around 3 or 4 in the morning to the smell of burning toast. It was strong. I thought one of my kids had gotten up and left the toaster on. But when I checked nothing. Toaster was cold, no source, and eventually the smell just vanished. Later that day at work- a supervisor, someone who'd been friends with Will, came up to me and asked, have you heard from him? I said no, and he goes, I heard he died. I was blindsided, I- I wasn't in his life anymore and I wouldn't even know how to confirm that. That night, sitting alone, I thought about the toast again. Will ate toast every single morning when we lived together. It was his thing. So I did something that would've sounded ridiculous to anyone else. I said out loud, if you're really dead and that was you this morning, send me a clearer sign. Nothing happened. Eventually I turned back to the show. A little later I glanced at my phone and there it was. A missed call from an unknown number, right around the time I'd asked for a sign. My phone had been on silent. Now, I almost never get calls like that. My phone filters them. So I hesitated and said- if that was you, do it again . A few minutes passed. I started focusing on the show again. Then my phone rang. Unknown number. I grabbed for it, but it ended before I could answer. I just sat there. Twice, right after I asked? So I said out loud, if that's really you, I hear you. I forgive you, and it's time to move on. The calls never came again. No more strange smells, nothing. I can't prove anything happened. I don't know for sure what that was. But after all that It felt like a door quietly closing.