I wake early, rolling over to find the bed beside me empty. The blankets are flung back on his side and the sheets are still warm.
Listening for movement from the bathroom instead, the almost silent pad of footsteps from the hall outside is followed by my Master nudging open the bedroom door with a tray. The scents of toast and coffee call to me, haul me upright against my pillow as though I were on strings.
He sets the tray alongside me, then, perching a hip on the bedside, leans in to brush his lips over mine. “How are you this morning, my Love?” His words are soft, but worry lurks there, like a shark in the shallows. “Did you sleep well?”
I switch on my best and brightest smile. “I’m fine, Master. And yes, I slept very well…” The unease fades behind his eyes. “… I didn’t expect to wa
