Arnav came home that night in a state of bone-deep exhaustion.
The weight of the day clung to his shoulders like a soaked overcoat, dragging each step heavier than the last. As he pushed open the front door slowly, not expecting anything but the same silence that had greeted him for the past few weeks.
But tonight, something was different.
His steps halted. He was caught off guard by a sight that froze him in place.
There, curled up on the armchair near the entrance, was Raellyn. She fast asleep.
She looked so peaceful, her head resting lightly against the side cushion, dark lashes fluttering gently over her cheeks. Her body folded into itself like a tired blossom, arms wrapped around a cushion, her breathing slow and soft. Her face, illuminated faintly by the golden light of a hallwa
