The morning came quietly, like it always did, but for Anna, today felt different. She woke up to the warmth of Tom's body wrapped around hers. She could feel the slow rise and fall of his chest against her back, his breathing steady, his arms loosely around her. For a second, she let herself lie there, eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep.
It was easier that way. Easier to stay in this quiet, safe moment without confronting the storm of questions that had been swirling in her mind. The feeling of him next to her felt so natural, too natural, and it unsettled her in a way she didn't know how to explain.
She wasn't sure when it happened, but somewhere in the middle of pretending to sleep, she caught herself watching him. Tom's face, softened by the quiet morning light, looked different—peaceful, unguarded. She studied him from under her lashes, wanting to remember everything about him, about them, but the memories still felt too far away.
And then, she saw his eyes flutter open. He blinked a few times, as if adjusting to the morning. Anna quickly shut her eyes, her heart racing just a little. She held her breath, not sure if he could tell she wasn't asleep.
Tom's gaze fell on her, his eyes lingering on her face with a tenderness that made Anna's heart ache. For a moment, he simply watched her, his fingers lightly brushing the hair from her forehead. It was like he was taking in the way she looked in this quiet, unspoken moment, the way the light danced in her hair, the way her lips were just slightly parted in sleep.
There was something about the softness of the scene that made him smile, a quiet, loving kind of smile. Slowly, gently, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, the kind of kiss that said everything he couldn't put into words. It was brief, tender, and for a second, the world outside the room didn't exist.
When he pulled away, he didn't say anything. Instead, he carefully untangled himself from the sheets and got out of bed, moving as if not to disturb her. Tom left her there, still pretending to sleep, while he went to make breakfast. The quiet in the room lingered, thick with the unspoken bond between them, the kind of intimacy that didn't need words, only the simple knowledge that, despite everything, they were here together.