The faint light of dawn filtered through the curtains, painting the room in soft hues of gold and pink. I blinked a few times, the remnants of sleep still heavy on me, before realising I was the first to wake up.
Layla was curled up beside me, her body pressed against mine, her face serene in the quiet morning light.
She looked so peaceful, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. A stray strand of hair had fallen across her cheek, and without thinking, I reached out and brushed it away, my fingers lingering against her skin for a moment.
She stirred slightly but didn't wake, her lips parting in a soft sigh.
I smiled to myself, my heart full in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. Last night had been... perfect.
Not just because of what had happened physically, but because it felt like we'd finally started to heal, to rebuild what had been broken.
