The morning sun cast a warm glow through the lace curtains, heralding the beginning of a new day in the town that had become the backdrop to Mia and Gabriel's unfolding story. The cottage, though still steeped in the echoes of their shared moments, held a different air—a quiet tension that lingered in the spaces between the familiar furniture.
As Mia awoke, the pendant around her neck felt heavier than usual, as if it carried the weight of the decisions yet to be made. Gabriel, still peacefully asleep beside her, seemed like a silhouette from the night's dreams. The note he had left the previous morning, assuring his return, now felt like a distant whisper in the hush of the awakening day.
As Mia slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Gabriel's slumber, she found herself drawn to the
