"I used to stargaze when I was a kid," Daniel said quietly, his voice breaking the silence in a way that made Anna still. "My parents made every weekend special. We would lie on the terrace wrapped in blankets… my mother would point out constellations, and my father would tell ridiculous stories about them."
Anna's throat tightened. She felt the lump rise but forced herself to swallow it down. The soft curl at the corner of Daniel's lips showed her that the memory still carried warmth… yet the shadow in his eyes revealed the pain stitched through it.
She reached up slowly, cupping his face. "Daniel… how were you as a child?"
He turned to her, his gaze meeting hers with a gentleness she rarely saw. The stars reflected in his dark eyes, making them look softer, deeper. He leaned in and kissed her, a slow, lingering kiss that carried gratitude more than desire.
