Leaving her brothers’ house was a strange feeling. I could tell that Hannah was managing to have a good time by the end of the evening, but that we were all getting a bit tired and it was time to go. After some goodbyes, we walked out to the car. It was a crisp evening and her brothers were a bit out of the city, so we could see more stars than usual. I stood next to my door, with hands in my pockets and my face to the sky.

Hannah stood next to me and leaned against my shoulder as she too looked up. My arm draped around her shoulders, "How do you feel?" I asked.

A little breath escaped her as we watched the sky together. "Different. In a good way, I think. Just... a lot to mull over."

"Understandable," I nodded. I peered over to study her for a moment. I could tell that the anxiety and fear she had been battling with for days was at the very least eased. There had been a lot of hurt that had not been undone, but explained, that evening. "Did you mean it when you said you would like to do it again soon?" I asked, mentioning her departure with her brothers.

"I think so," Hannah replied softly. "I think it’ll be good for all of us."

"I think so too," I smiled, giving her a little squeeze.

We climbed into the car and I half expected her to blast the music again and give herself time alone with her thoughts, and I wouldn’t have blamed or judged her from doing so. However, she surprised me by turning to me and asking, "Did you notice anything of concern? Am I being naïve to trust them?"

I rested my hand on her leg and kept my eyes on the road. "I think they were sincere and you could sense that yourself. Don’t doubt yourself too much. Hesitation is understandable, but trust yourself. Go with the flow."

She nodded and I glanced over to see her eyes growing distant, as she thought it over. "I do feel bad about all the judgement I’ve had for them over the years. I never even thought it as a possibility that they were being emotionally abused by our dad."

"You shouldn’t feel bad for going off of the information you had. I will say, the difference between the two situations you guys went through was that they were aware and you weren’t. If anyone should have taken action, it was them. It’s still understandable, to an extent, that they didn’t," I stated firmly, but gently. I didn’t want to overstep, but also didn’t want her to beat herself up for something she had no control over.

"You’re right," she sighed. "I do feel better, though. For once, it feels like the family is on the right track. Maybe this really is a new beginning for everyone."

"We can only hope," I agreed.

The rest of the drive was in general silence, but it was comfortable. There wasn’t the tension as there had been before. She was more relaxed, and her thoughts were not as negative—it was clear on her face and her body posture.

For the first time since I had met her, she was hopeful for her family. My only hope that nothing would come along and crush it so soon. It was going to be a delicate process.

We got back to the house and got upstairs to the bedroom. We went about preparing for bed by showering and getting dressed.

When I came out of the bathroom, I noticed her in bed with a notebook. I patted across the room and got into my spot. "Whatcha doing?" I asked.

"Writing down my thoughts in hope they don’t keep me up," she answered.

I rubbed her back from my position, giving her time to journal her thoughts. I relaxed and mentally organized my morning as we sat there. It was so nice.

Even though it had been a while since the investigation had come to an end, it still felt so new to have normalcy. Before, we would have spent that time pouring over the details and worries over the investigation, comforting one another from the pending danger. Even though there were still some rather heavy things to sort through, they felt far more manageable than things had been before.

When she put the notebook to the side and turned off her light, I brought her into my chest. She looked up at me and gazed in my eyes for a long moment, and I only met it. Something was still on her mind, and I didn’t want to push her to share. If she was ready to share, then she would.

"Thank you," Hannah finally breathed.

"For what?" I asked, stroking her cheek.

"For coming with me today. For being just what I needed at a time like this. You always seem to know, even when things appear so uncertain," she explained. I started to smile and think of a response, but she continued. "I just hope that you don’t get tired of all the constant drama. Sometimes I feel like your life wouldn’t be so hectic had I never walked into it."

"Don’t think like that," I urged her, bringing her tighter into my chest. "Because I can’t imagine my life without you, and I wouldn’t want to know that life anymore. I promise, I was always one to find trouble. At least with you, I get an amazing, brave, beautiful wife out of it." I gave her a playful grin to let her know I meant it in a lighthearted way.

She returned the smile but before she could say anything else, I stole her lips in a kiss. I felt her physically relax at the slight touch, her lips melding to mine in a beautiful way.

What was it about us that hardly allowed for a kiss just to be a kiss? Something about Hannah always ignited a fire of passion and desire into the center of my chest. I loved the way she felt, the way she sounded, the way she loved me. It was like a drug that I just couldn’t get enough of, and never wanted to.

It was only in a matter of minutes that I was pulling off my boxers and she was pulling off the t-shirt she had selected to sleep in. My fingers slid between her legs and gently palmed her as my lips attacked the sweet flesh of her neck. We were both lost in a sea of affection, hormones, and love. She wasted no time to move over top of me and carefully position herself over my member. She slid down onto me, and my entire body shuttered.

She gripped the sides of my head as she slipped her tongue into my mouth and began riding me. I could only hold her hips and gently pump from the bottom—I was completely and totally at her will.

I loved the way little soft moans escaped her lips as we connected body to body; I didn’t think there could be a more delicious sound in the entire world.

My hands explored her body as she did the work. Her movements were jagged, prolonged, and dizzying. With just a flick of her hips, Hannah could drive me wild, so that I was in a state of pure ecstasy.

I never wanted it to end. I could have stayed there just like that until the world turned to ash. Groping her chest and lightly pinching her nipples seemed to only add fuel to her fire, and I was there to witness it all. Her hips moved faster and her moans grew a little louder.

Soon enough, I found myself struggling for breathe and my climax building exponentially. It was at that moment she must have sensed it and slowed down her pace, moving her hips in long, jerking motions. My fingers dug into her hips as I let out a needy groan. I dared to attempt to roll her over, to take charge and bring us both to a mountainous peak, but she pinned my hands down above my head.

How could I have been so lucky to find such a perfectly matched sexual opponent?

She held me there and continued to ride me slow and hard, until we were both struggling for breath, lost in desire, and gradually climbed the peaks of pleasure together. Her knuckles must have been white from how hard she gripped my hands as she finally came. The sounds coming from her was enough to push me over my own edge, my body trembling as I came.

She withdrew me from her and then laid on my chest. I combed through her hair as I struggled to catch my breath. "I love you, Hannah," I murmured.

"I love you too, Roman," she whispered in response.

We both stayed just like that until sleep captured us. There was no better feeling than dozing off with my wife in my arms.