The following morning, I woke up before Ethan did. The room was quiet, and I could hear the faint sounds of birds chirping outside the window as the sun began to rise. The early morning light streamed in through the cracks in the curtains, casting golden beams across the floor. I pushed the covers off and quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake Ethan. His breathing was slow and even—he was still sound asleep, and after everything we’d been through, he deserved the rest.

I ...