The rain started sometime after midnight.Not a storm—just a steady, patient fall against the windows, soft enough that it didn’t demand attention, but persistent enough to be felt. Grace woke first, aware of the sound before she was fully conscious. She lay still, listening, letting it seep into her awareness the way peace had learned to.Jordan slept beside her, one arm curved loosely around her waist. Even in sleep, there was intention in the way he held her now. Not protective in the old, guarded sense—but present. Anchored.She shifted slightly, careful not to wake him. His grip tightened reflexively, drawing her closer.“Still here,” he murmured, half-asleep.Grace smiled into the pillow.“I wasn’t going anywhere.”His breathing evened again, but his arm remained firm, certain. It struck her then how different this felt from the past—from the nights where closeness had been charged, fearful, temporary.This was not clinging.This was staying.Morning came slowly, rain lingering
Last Updated : 2025-12-27 Read more