Adrienne POV
I returned quickly with a tray loaded with fried okra, sardines, boiled potatoes, coffee, and a pitcher of water. After a night spent drinking, nothing else would do. A simple, restorative courtesy I had learned from my mother.
He looked up at me with such raw gratefulness in his eyes, a genuine smile of thanks that momentarily chased away his usual guardedness and made my heart soar. In that suspended moment, my resolve utterly crystallized: I wanted to pursue this man, and I would use any means necessary to secure him.
"Thank you!" He wasted no time, grabbing a handful of sardines and shoving them into his mouth with an urgent hunger as I placed the tray before him. I was irrationally overjoyed that he had accepted sustenance from my hands. A potent surge of happiness and
