AVA'S POV
The morning sunlight drifted in like a warm whisper, brushing over my face and coaxing me out of the peaceful cocoon I had fallen into.
I stirred gently, my eyes fluttering open to find myself still nestled in Ethan's arms.
His hand was cradling my shoulder, his other resting protectively around my waist. For a few seconds, I didn't move.
I just listened, to the soft rhythm of his breathing, the distant hum of the city starting to stretch awake outside our window, and the quiet safety I felt being wrapped in his presence.
This... was home. Not the walls or the furniture or the street we lived on. But this feeling. Him. Us.
I shifted slowly, just enough to turn and look at him. His eyes were still closed, lashes brushing his cheek, his expression calm in sleep.
A part of me wanted to reach out and touch his face, but I didn't want to wake him, not yet. He rarely slept this deeply, and I knew how much he needed the rest too.
