The first morning light had already stretched across the sky when Luke's eyes fluttered open. The sun's warmth spilled gently through the cracks of the window, casting soft patterns across the room. His body felt heavy, wrapped in the lingering comfort of uninterrupted sleep—the kind of sleep he hadn't experienced in a long time. He lay still for a brief, blissful moment, letting the calm morning lull him.
Then the realization hit.
"Shit!" Luke bolted upright, his heart leaping to his throat. He was late. He was supposed to be up hours ago. Scrambling out of bed, he yanked his shirt off the floor, hopping on one foot as he struggled to pull on his pants.
