Morning found me before my alarm did—warmth against my shoulder, soft breath on my skin, and fingers gently brushing through my hair like she was memorizing every strand.
"Wake up, husband…" Val whispered, her voice still wrapped in sleep but somehow sweeter because of it.
I blinked my eyes open, and the first thing I saw was her smile—small, soft, and exactly the kind that made early mornings feel less like a responsibility and more like a reward. She pressed a light kiss to my cheek, then another just a little closer to my lips.
"It's D-Day," she murmured.
I let out a breath that was half-groan, half-laugh. "Don't remind me."
She kissed me again—this time fully on the lips, a warm encouragement rather than anything heated—and pulled back with a determined little nod. "Unfortunately for you, I'm reminding you. Up. You've got a contract to win."
