I woke to muted light filtering through the wide hotel windows, the city already awake but still gentle, as if easing us into the day. For a moment, I stayed still, listening to Canna’s breathing beside me, steady and calm, the kind that made everything feel settled. The exhaustion from the night before had lifted, replaced by that quiet excitement that comes when you realize you are somewhere new, somewhere people dream about.
I turned slightly, brushing my fingers over his arm.
“Morning,” I said.
He opened his eyes slowly, looked at me, and smiled. “Good morning.”
We stayed there for a few seconds longer than necessary, not talking, just existing in the moment. Then reality crept in gently, the promise of a full day waiting for us.
“We should shower,” I said. “Before we talk ourselv
