Chapter Two Hundred And Seven

Chapter Two Hundred And Seven
Chapter Two Hundred And Seven

Tia stirred slightly, still half-asleep, the blanket pulled up to her chin. she woke up with a smile already on her face

.The memories of last night — the dinner, the laughter, the way Adam looked at her like she was the only woman in the world — still lingered fresh in her mind.

She turned slowly and saw the other side of the bed empty. His side. The sheets were already cold.

For a moment, she thought he had gone to work early again, but before she could sit up, the sound of soft footsteps came from outside the door.

The door opened gently, and Adam walked in, carrying a tray with breakfast — two cups of coffee, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a small bowl of strawberries. His hair was slightly messy, his sleeves rolled up, and there was that usual calm smile on his face.

Tia blinked, surprised. “Adam… what are you doing?”

He grinned. “Good morning to you too, sleepyhead.”

“Did you make all that?” she asked, sitting up.

“Maybe,” he said, placing the tray carefully on the bed. “Maybe I just bribed Ruth to help me out a little.”

She chuckled softly. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I did,” he replied. “Last night was for us. This morning is for you.”

Tia smiled shyly, her heart softening again. “You’re being too sweet lately.”

He sat down beside her, pretending to think. “Is that a complaint?”

“No,” she said, laughing. “Just… strange. You used to be so serious all the time.”

He smiled. “I realized being serious doesn’t always keep the people you love close.”

That silenced her for a moment. She looked down at the tray — the pancakes were heart-shaped, a little uneven, but cute. He had even sprinkled powdered sugar on top and added strawberries in the middle.

“Did you really make this yourself?” she asked again.

He nodded. “Mostly. I may have burned the first batch though.”

Tia laughed. “I can imagine you panicking in the kitchen.”

He laughed too. “Yeah, Ruth had to step in before I destroyed the stove.”

She shook her head and smiled. “You’re hopeless.”

“But you still love me,” he said softly, his eyes meeting hers.

She looked at him for a moment, her smile fading into something warmer. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I do.”

Adam reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “That’s all I need to hear.”

He leaned in and kissed her forehead gently, then pulled back, smiling. “Now eat before it gets cold.”

She picked up the fork and tasted the pancakes. Her eyes widened a little. “Hey, this is actually good!”

He laughed. “See? I’m full of surprises.”

They ate together, joking and talking like old times. Every now and then, he’d steal a strawberry from her plate, and she’d playfully slap his hand away.

At one point, she said quietly, “It feels strange… like we’re starting over.”

He looked at her with a soft expression. “Maybe that’s exactly what we need — a fresh start.”

She looked down. “Do you think we can really forget everything that happened?”

He took her hand gently. “I don’t want to forget,” he said. “I just want to move forward. Learn from it. Love you better.”

Tia felt her eyes sting a little. “You’re making it hard not to cry, you know.”

He smiled faintly. “Then let me make you smile instead.”

He got up and walked to the dresser, pulling out a small white box. “I wanted to give this to you after dinner last night,” he said, “but I thought morning would be better.”

She looked curious. “What is it?”

He handed it to her. “Open it.”

Inside the box was a delicate silver bracelet — simple but beautiful, with a small heart-shaped charm engraved with her name.

“Adam…” she whispered, touched. “It’s beautiful.”

“I saw it and thought of you,” he said softly. “Strong, but still gentle.”

She looked at the bracelet again, her fingers tracing her name on it. “You didn’t have to buy me anything.”

“I didn’t buy it to make up for anything,” he said quietly. “I just wanted you to have something that reminds you that no matter what happens… I’ll always choose you.”

Tia’s throat tightened. She couldn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then she smiled faintly and said, “You’ve changed.”

He nodded. “I had to. Losing you, even for a short while, was enough to wake me up.”

She placed the bracelet on her wrist, admiring how it fit perfectly. Then she looked up at him and said softly, “Thank you.”

Adam leaned forward, kissing her hand gently. “You don’t have to thank me. Just promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“That you won’t ever give up on us again — even if I mess up sometimes.”

She smiled, tears filling her eyes. “You promise the same.”

He nodded. “Deal.”

For a moment, they just stared at each other — the quiet between them wasn’t empty this time; it was full of peace, the kind that comes when two people finally understand each other again.

Then, out of nowhere, Adam said playfully, “So… should I start making breakfast for you every morning now?”

Tia laughed. “No way. You’ll burn the whole kitchen one of these days.”

He pretended to look offended. “Hey! I did great today.”

“Because Ruth helped you,” she teased.

He grinned. “Okay, maybe I’ll keep bribing her then.”

She laughed again, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re stuck with me,” he said, smiling.

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” she replied quietly.

He leaned in, brushing his lips softly against hers. “Definitely not.”

\---

The rest of the morning passed slowly. They sat in bed, finishing their coffee, watching the sunlight fill the room. For once, there was no rush — no calls, no tension, no unspoken distance. Just them.

Adam lay back on the bed, one arm behind his head, watching her as she fixed the bracelet around her wrist again. “Looks good on you,” he said.

She smiled. “It feels good too.”

He reached out and pulled her gently toward him until she was resting her head on his chest. “Stay like this for a while,” he said quietly.

She closed her eyes. “I could stay like this forever.”

He kissed her hair s
oftly. “Then let’s make sure forever feels like this — simple, peaceful, real.”

Tia didn’t reply, but she smiled against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

For once, love didn’t feel complicated. It just felt right.