Aidan wakes the next morning to see an empty space beside him. He groans quietly as he runs his hand, feeling the cold sheets where Griselda had been.
And for a moment, a familiar knot of anxiety and separation tightens in his gut. But then, after hearing a soft rustling sound coming from the bathroom, he sighs in relief.
He gets up, pulls on the pair of pants he wore the previous day, and walks toward the sound in the bathroom. The bathroom is filled with warm steam and Griselda is standing before a mirror, her long hair tied up and her face focused as she applies some scents to her skin. Her back is to him, and her posture is stiff and cold.
"I thought you were gone," Aidan says, his voice low and soft as he approaches her from behind.
She doesn't turn around. "This is my room, where would I go?" she asks, her voice flat.
