A/N: As you read this chapter, I encourage you to listen to the song "It'll Be Okay" by Rachel Grae.
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Adela slowly opened her eyes to the warm, comforting gaze of her beloved husband, his deep, dark brown eyes locking onto hers. They lay beside each other, silently sharing an unspoken connection. The tip of her nose brushed against his, a tender and intimate gesture.
"...I must have drifted off," she admitted in a hushed tone.
"It was just a brief moment," he replied softly.
Lying there beside him in the enveloping darkness, Adela marveled once more at how effortlessly their togetherness brought her a profound sense of peace. It seemed almost magical, the way he could mend the fragments of her heart.
"Rest," he whispered.
"I don't want to."
"…What is it that you desire then?"
His tone suggested he'd grant her any wish.
"…Could we, just for a brief moment, pretend that you hold affection for me?"
