The soft crackle of oil in the pan was the only sound in the kitchen as I carefully flipped the eggs. The smell of toast drifted up, mixing with the faint aroma of coffee.

I wasn’t about to risk another surprise breakfast-in-bed from Liam. One look at his burnt pancakes last week had been enough. Kindness shouldn’t be put to the test like that.

And after last night’s... marathon, I needed something hearty to survive the day. My body ached in all the best ways, but I wasn’t trying to ...