Ainsley woke just after sunrise, the warm weight of Calvin's arm draped over her bare stomach.

He stirred and pulled her close, his voice scratchy. "You okay?"

"I'm perfect," she whispered. "You?"

"I've never been better. Not just because of last night."

She turned to face him fully. "You mean it, don't you?"

He nodded. "I think I've been falling in love with you for years. I just didn't let myself see it."

She blinked back tears. "Me too."

Silence filled the room again - soft, content.

"We should've been brave sooner," he said.

"But maybe we needed to go through it all to know what this is."

He kissed her again, slow and steady. "This isn't temporary, Ainsley."

"No," she agreed. "It's everything we were missing."