The atmosphere inside Ethan’s bedroom was calm, a welcome contrast to the emotionally exhausting day we had just endured. Soft evening light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long golden shadows across the room.
Ethan glanced in my direction, his expression noticeably softer than it had been earlier, as though reassuring himself that I was truly beside him.
“You’ve hardly spoken since we left your parents’ house,” he observed gently, his fingers tapping the steering wheel in an unhurried rhythm. “Is something weighing on your mind?”
I offered him a faint, weary smile. “I’m just a little exhausted. Today has been… emotionally overwhelming.
Ethan’s expression softened as he reached over and gently squeezed my hand. “I can imagine,” he said quietly. “You’ve been carr
