I woke to the sound of rain touching the windows in a slow and gentle way, not loud enough to disturb sleep, but steady enough to remind me that the world was always moving. The room felt warm and safe, the kind of quiet that only comes when you trust the place you are in and the person beside you. Damien slept next to me, his body turned toward mine, his hand resting over my ribs as if it belonged there. I lay still and listened to the rain and to his breathing, letting the calm settle into my bones. Once, mornings filled me with worry and sharp thoughts about what could go wrong. Now, even with work and duty waiting, I felt ready in a deep and simple way. The future did not feel like a threat. It felt like a path.
When Damien woke, he opened his eyes slowly and met my gaze without surpr
