Awake Beside Her
Before the morning light, I witnessed the kind of intimacy that changes everything. Would you have kept your eyes closed?
The first thing I felt was the gentle movement of the mattress, a rhythmic rocking nudging me from the edge of sleep. I held my breath, eyes closed, and let the hush of morning settle over me. The air, damp and lingering between night’s coolness and the earliest hint of warmth, felt weighted with anticipation. I didn’t move, instead tuning into every detail: my partner’s breathing, shallow and uneven, and the faint rustle...