Reed's Pov
The timer beeped, and Nicholas didn't move he stayed there, watching me with that soft intensity that always unraveled me. After a moment, he pressed a kiss to my forehead before stepping away.
"Stay," he murmured. "Let me take care of you today."
I watched him scoop the soup into bowls, his movements gentle like he didn't want to disturb the moment. When he set the steaming bowl in front of me, our fingers brushed, lingering.
"Thanks," I murmured.
"For the soup?" he teased.
"For… being here."
He leaned in close enough that his whisper brushed my skin. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
We ate quietly, the soft clink of spoons the only sound in the kitchen. Our knees kept brushing under the table
"Hii unkie!" Mariam's tiny voice chimed from the doorway.
I looked up, and there she was—
sleep-rumpled braids, one sock on, the other missing, clutching her little stuffed bunny. Her big brown eyes blinked up at me with that innocent warmth only kids have.
