Standing just inside the apartment, bathed in the warm glow of the living room lamp, was Joanna.
Her hair was completely down, falling freely over her shoulders in soft waves. She wore a light satin nightgown that caught the lamplight gently, the fabric draping effortlessly over her frame. It wasn't loud or dramatic — just simple, elegant, soft. The kind of softness that made the whole room feel warmer. Bare feet against the floor. A faint, familiar scent drifting toward him — cocoa butter and something sweet he couldn't quite name.
She spread her arms without saying a word.
For the first time that entire day, Lukas didn't think.
He dropped the suitcase handle and crossed the distance between them in two quick steps, pulling her into him tightly right there in the doorway. His arms wrapped around her, firm, almost desperate, as though grounding himself.
Joanna held him just as tightly.
And then it happened.
