Sophia
I didn’t know how long I stared at him before sleep finally crept in.
Erick had fallen asleep first, his arm draped across my waist, his chest rising and falling against my back. The room was dark, peaceful, and warm. And yet I stayed awake, wide-eyed, heart full of joy for being married to such a man.
In another life, I want to have Erick as my husband again.
I had believed love to be a cruel joke.
Something people clung to until it bled them dry. I thought I’d known what love was with Caleb. I thought submission and silence were the price to pay for being someone’s partner.
But lying there beside Erick—his breath soft on my shoulder, his fingers relaxed but still holding me close—I felt what love could be when it was laced with respect, strength, and comfort.
I turned sl
