Chapter 10 - The First Light
The digital clock on the bedside table read 4:33 AM.
Two minutes.
Roman Calder lay awake in the oversized mahogany bed, his arm securely around Nora, who was sleeping with her head resting comfortably against his chest. The bedroom was silent except for the rhythmic, peaceful sound of her breathing and the distant whistle of a late freight train crossing the harbor bridge.
At exactly 4:35 AM, Roman felt her stir.
Without opening her eyes yet, Nora’s hand instinctively reached out across the sheets to check for him, her fingers brushing his arm to confirm he was still there.
Roman smiled in the dark—a real, effortless smile that belonged only to her.
“You’re awake early,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep as her eyelids fluttered open.
“I’m always awake before the sun,” Roman whispered, pressing a gentle kiss into her hair.
“That’s my job.”
“Not anymore. Today, it’s a shared responsibility.”
Nora stretched lazily, her bare shoulders catching the faint silver moonlight filtering through the balcony doors. She looked up at him, her dark eyes shining with a quiet, fierce joy that no amount of power or money could ever buy.
“Coffee?” she asked, kicking the duvet back and sliding out of bed.
“Only if I get to grind the beans,” Roman replied, throwing off the covers and following her down the wide, carpeted hallway toward the kitchen.
The kitchen was already warm, the automated espresso machine humming softly as the first pale slivers of winter dawn began to paint the Baltimore skyline in shades of bruised purple and gold.
As Nora measured out the rich, dark roast, Roman wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder just as he had done every morning since they moved into the estate.
Through the massive east-facing window, the sun crested the horizon, casting a brilliant beam of light across the harbor, the docks, and the quiet streets of Highlandtown.
May you like
The past was gone. The shadows had retreated.
And as the rich aroma of fresh coffee filled the air, Roman closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of roasted beans and home, knowing with absolute certainty that the long, dark night was finally over.
