She gave me a normal hug, nothing strange about it.
Her arms wrapped around me, warm and steady, while rubbing her face lightly against my chest.
It felt natural, almost casual, and for a moment I just stood there, surprised by how simple it was.
I thought it was cute, that small gesture, so without overthinking it, I hugged her back.
My arms settled around her shoulders, and I let out a slow breath, letting the moment stretch.
We stayed like that.
Seconds passed, then minutes, and the hug didn't change.
No rush, no words, just the quiet closeness between us.
Her head rested there, unmoving, and I could feel her breathing, calm and even.
At first, it felt nice, grounding even, like time had slowed down just for us.
But as the minutes dragged on, ten of them by my count, that stillness started to itch at me.
My mind wandered, my attention drifted, and the warmth that was comforting at first became dull.
