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“I didn’t think that could happen for me anymore,” she whispered in the dark. “I just didn’t think…” She shook her head. Her eyes glistened and her body was limp with exhaustion and satisfaction as she lay on my chest. I brushed her hair back, loving the relaxed look on her face. “That’s the first one I’ve been able to have in a long time,” she confessed.

I wanted to ask when the last time was, but at the same time, I didn’t need to know. Instead, I draped my arm across her back. “Good, baby,” I said, pressing a kiss to her hair. “I’m glad.”

Then she whispered in the dark, “Since you.”

My heart swelled in my chest. She was mine to hold, protect, and take care of. She always was.

“Was it… was it good for you?” she asked in a soft voice, clearly seeking reassurance.

“That was fucking unreal,” I told her truthfully. “And I’m never letting you go,” I added with a chuckle.

She curled further into me then and I could feel her smile against my skin.

The two of us drifted into a peaceful sleep. It wasn’t until around 4am when the sound of her whimpering woke me.

Still half-asleep myself, I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her knee and the surrounding muscles, trying to soothe the area, trying to pull her from the nightmare and the pain.

“You’re okay,” I whispered in her ear, even though she was still asleep. “I’m right here with you, baby. I’ve got you.”

After a few minutes, her breathing evened and she was silently sleeping again.

An intense wave of relief and satisfaction rushed through me knowing that I was able to fully comfort her, and I vowed right then that I’d make it all fade if she’d let me.