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“Mal…”

“Shhh. Let me love you.” She kisses the tip of my nose then locks eyes with me.

“Fine, if you must,” I groan.

“Asshole,” she breathes against my mouth before pressing hers into mine. I chuckle through our kiss, things momentarily feeling normal for the first time inso long. I pull away, and put the stopper back in the drain.

“Get in the tub, I’ll get this cleaned up.”

“Only if you join me when you’re done,” she counters.

Standing, I offer my hand to help her to her feet. “Absolutely. I’ll bring us something to eat.” Holding her hand tightly, she steps into the tub.

“Sounds groovy,” she slurs, sinking into the half-full steaming water.

“Groovy?” I ask. She shrugs. “Oh, I got you a fancy bath thing, can I throw it in there now?”

Her face brightens a fraction as she nods excitedly. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” I tread carefully over the wet floor, and back out into the hallway. Opening the linen closet, I grab some towels, and the little black ball I bought from the spa store where I got her new pyjamas.

Returning to the bathroom, the sound of splashing water has her turning to me. Holding it up, she smiles, but it falters slightly.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“What’s it smell like?” she croaks.

Pressing my nose against it, I deeply inhale. The dust sucks up my nostrils and I have a sneezing fit. I knew this would happen, it happened in the store the other day. But she’s laughing again so I don’t care if it stings my sinuses. “Vanilla,” I gasp.

“You didn’t need to shove it up your nose, silly.”

I shrug. “Had to be sure of the smell.” I hold it out forher, and she tentatively leans in to smell it. Smiling, she nods. “Can I just throw it in?” I ask.

“Yep!”

I drop it into the water and it starts fizzing, bubbles erupting all around it as an inky blackness leaks from it.

“Uh, is it supposed to do that?”

“Yes, it’s a bath bomb.”

“Is it going to blow up?”

“No, you goof. The colours are the explosion and the fizzing. Watch,” she instructs.

I watch the thing bob up and down in the water as I lay the towels around the floor, soaking up the water. Dark midnight blue and purple foam start shooting out of it as it spins around in the water.

“Is that glitter?”

“Mhmm.” She watches entranced as the bath bomb fizzles away to nothing. The sight warms my heart. Watching her is my favourite pastime.

“Yeah… I’m not getting in there.” I say.

“What?!”

“I don’t want glitter stuck to me when Greyson shows up for our meeting tomorrow.”

“Pleaseeeeee,” she begs. Fuck, I really don’t want to be covered in sparkles.