*Lauren*

The first rays of morning light slipped through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I blinked against the brightness, my eyes focusing on the man beside me. Lucas's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, and I let out a sigh of relief. Everything that had happened wasn't just a dream; he was here, with me, after everything that I’d put him through.

I had harbored so many doubts, convinced that the rip between us was too big to bridge. Yet here we were, ...