After their passion slowly ebbed into quiet, a silence settled between them. Anne lay curled against Augustine's chest, her body warm and pliant with contentment, her breathing slow and steady.
Augustine pulled the blanket over them and rested his chin on the top of her head. His arms encircled her protectively.
He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. "Tonight... I was lost in you. When I touch you… It's like the world disappears. There's nothing else—just you—it felt like you were pulling me deeper into you, body and soul."
Anne was so tired that she could only hum. Her eyelashes fluttered faintly.
His fingers absentmindedly played with a lock of her hair. "You're my calm in the chaos, Anne. The way you look at me with so much love—I don't know how to hold it all."
A faint smile played on her lips. She wanted to respond, but sleep had already begun to claim her.
