You sat on his lap, your loose t-shirt slipping off one shoulder, your pajamas warm and familiar against him. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast soft shadows over your face as you spoke—about childhood dreams, silly fears, the things that made you laugh, and the moments that broke you.

Hours passed like minutes, your voice a lullaby he never wanted to end. And then, mid-sentence, you drifted off, your breathing steady, your body relaxed against him.

He should have laid you down, pulled the blanket over you. But instead, he sat there, holding you, feeling the quiet weight of your trust.

That was the moment he knew.

You had fallen asleep.

He had fallen in love.