My bus reached the apartment at seven fifty-six, leaving eighteen minutes before Nina's scheduled call. I sent Thea the single arrival confirmation she had requested, then received a thumbs-up without any invitation toward further conversation.
The quiet living room made the first kiss feel louder after I removed my coat. Mint remained faintly present upon my mouth, while clay dried beneath one fingernail despite the studio sink.
I wanted to rehearse the disclosure until no word could hurt Nina. That instinct had once disguised avoidance as care, so I opened our agreement and read only the required categories.
The relevant facts remained simple: kissing occurred, both adults wanted it, the current limit held, no health risk changed, plus no pause had been requested. Everything else belonged to private experience or tomorrow's scheduled review after Thea received processing space.
