Goodnight

The hug didn’t end quickly. We stood there in the kitchen for a long time, her small body tucked perfectly against mine, my hands finally allowed to rest on the curve of her lower back and hips. Every breath I took was full of her. Every small shift of her weight pressed more of those soft, full curves into me. When we finally pulled apart it was ****, and even then she kept one hand on my chest for a second longer than necessary, like she was **** to break the contact too.

We said goodnight with another, shorter hug at her bedroom door. I went to bed hard and aching and happier than I’d been in months.