เข้าสู่ระบบThe word hangs between them like something that transmits electric shock, because really, they literally both shiver as soon as the word hits.Mommy...Mavis feels it strike first in her chest, then ripple outward, freezing her limbs, stealing the air from her lungs. Her body reacts before her mind does as she steps back instinctively, placing herself fully between Nathan in a very protective manner and the man still kneeling at her door.Lance does not move from his spot on the floor.He stares... At Nathan, at the small hand curled into the fabric of her dress and at the child’s face that's all too familiar, too precise in its resemblance, like a memory sharpened into flesh.His mouth parts slightly, but no sound comes out and he ends up closing it, nothing but a gust of air coming up.For a man who has always controlled rooms, conversations, entire corporations with little more than his presence, the silence utterly disarms him and he's suddenly feeling as though his nakedness is o
Dinner ends up stretching on for longer than Mavis expects, not because the food is heavy, that's not it at all, but because the conversation is light between herself and Nathan.Who'd have thought a week of separation would cause so much to talk about? Coupled with his surgery too? That she's trying to make up for her absence with being there for him in every minute now... Unlike that man.Nathan eats with an enthusiasm that borders on rush, chewing fast and slow intermittently, savoring every bite as though afraid it might be taken away if he moves too fast while he's been slow, and while he's been fast, she's worried about him choking and has to constantly remind him to slow down that the food doesn't have any legs and can't run away from him. Mavis watches him from across the table, her chin resting lightly in her palm, a small smile playing at her lips as she refills his glass and nudges his plate closer when he pauses.“This,” he says very seriously, gesturing with his fork, “
Morning arrives gently as the soft sunlight rays are what wakes her up from the long couch she'd slept off on.Not with urgency or alarms or nurses bustling in too early, but with pale sunlight slipping through the hospital blinds and landing softly across Nathan’s face as well. Mavis wakes before he does, her body stiff from sleeping on the couch, her neck protesting quietly as she straightens. She ignores the discomfort immediately, because the sight in front of her matters more.Nathan is asleep on his side, one arm tucked beneath the pillow, the other curled loosely near his chest. His face is relaxed in a way she hasn’t seen in a long time, the tightness of pain and uncertainty eased into something close to peace. For a moment, she simply watches him breathe, letting the steady rhythm calm her own thoughts.She moves carefully, not wanting to wake him yet, and slips into the bathroom to freshen up. The mirror reflects a woman who looks tired but ready to see the day, eyes clea
Nathan does not wait for her to cross the room as soon as their eyes meet in that second.The moment he says her name, he is already trying to sit up, his thin arms pushing against the mattress with more determination than strength. Mavis is there, by his side, in seconds, dropping her bag to the ground where it hits with a soft thud, crossing the space between them and gathering him carefully into her arms before the effort becomes too much for him.Oh how she's missed her boy!“Hey, hey,” she murmurs, voice thick with held back emotions but smiling. “Slow down, my superstar.”He laughs, bright and breathy, his arms wrapping around her neck with surprising force. She closes her eyes as she hugs him back, pressing her cheek to his hair, breathing him in like oxygen. The weight of him, lighter than she remembers, tightens something deep in her chest, but she holds him closer instead of pulling away.He's obviously stronger in that short time she's been away.“I missed you,” he says, m
Mavis’s voice falters before she even comes to realize that it has... She just can't seem to comprehend what's going on.Her hands miss the warmth of Lance's but reaching for it now will only make her look stupid and desperate and even Lance will wonder if she's okay all over again...Whatever argument is unfolding beside her now only dissolves into noise, the sharp edges of Charlotte’s voice and the low force of Lance’s response blurring together into something distant and irrelevant to her being. Words are being thrown around, accusations and denials colliding in the open air of the tarmac with the plane still behind them, but none of it reaches her in a way that matters anymore.It all sounds the same to Mavis.Excuses...Again.Her hand trembles slightly as she whips her phone from her carry on tote, fingers moving on instinct to just do something to get away from there coupled with intention. She barely looks at the screen as she calls for a taxi, barely hears the automated res
The plane comes to a smooth, unhurried stop on the tarmac, its engines winding down with a low, powerful hum that vibrates faintly beneath their feet but a good reminder that they are back in Atlanta and for Mavis, that she'll get to see her sweetheart in a matter of hours or even minutes if she hurries up.Mavis sits back in her seat, properly dressed now, hair hastily smoothed, lips still swollen despite her best efforts, and she feels… good.More than good even. She feels light and well pleasured and not hungry or starved for seven years. Who'd have known that it would matter so much.Her body hums in that pleasant, lingering way that comes after being thoroughly taken care of, the kind of warmth that sinks into muscles and bones rather than sitting on the surface. She adjusts the strap of her dress, glancing toward Lance, who looks infuriatingly composed for a man who had absolutely not been composed at all less than an hour ago.He meets her gaze and smiles, slow and private, as







