Alexander:
The night settled gently around us.
No alarms.
No shouting.
No fear clawing at the edges of the walls.
Just quiet.
Alessia sat curled on the couch, legs tucked beneath her, a blanket draped loosely around her shoulders. The lamp beside her cast a warm glow across her face, softening the shadows beneath her eyes. She looked… calm. Not guarded. Not braced.
Real.
I poured her tea without asking. Chamomile, the way she liked it. I handed it to her and she smiled up at me, that small, private smile she didn’t give to anyone else.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
I sat beside her, close enough that our shoulders brushed. She didn’t pull away. Didn’t tense. Instead, she leaned into me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“How are you?” I asked quietly. “You’ve been
