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 reluctant, and even then she kept one hand on my chest for a second longer than necessary, like she was reluctant 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.