efore bed, Laura whipped up a calming nighttime fruit tea, a curious blend unlike any traditional recipe. Into the pot went chamomile, lavender, roasted barley, and rose petals, with a hint of citrus peel for that tangy sweetness.

The tea wasn't Leanne's thing, but Curtis sweet-talked her into downing a whole mug. Perhaps it was the soothing blend or having him by her side, but before ten, Leanne was sound asleep, snug as a bug.

In her dreams, she felt a gentle jostling, with a breeze carrying the scent of rain caressing her cheek. Leanne instinctively snuggled closer into the embrace that held her.

Something fell onto her, stirring her awake just a tad.

Wrapped in a blanket, she struggled to reach out, grabbing what had fallen on her.

It was a delicate pink bougainvillea, washed clean by the rain, its petals dotted with dew.

Looking up, dawn was breaking. Its early light cast a serene glow over the sleeping garden. The rain had stopped, leaving the grass and leaves glistening with freshness.

Curtis carried her across the yard into the car. The black sedan glided out of the garden, cruising the empty, tranquil roads at dawn.

"Where are we going?" Leanne asked, still groggy.

"Airport," came his brief reply.

Leanne, half-asleep, wondered, "Why the airport?"

Curtis glanced down at her drowsy face, still clutching the rain-drenched bougainvillea, oblivious to being whisked away from home.

pig,"

shut her sleepy eyes again. "You'll regret

and took the flower from her hand, twirling it by the

you doing..." Leanne swatted his hand away, her voice heavy with

low and tender.

him but didn't react,

reached out, pinching his

an eyebrow. "What's that

I'm still

you pinched the wrong face.

her cheek,

time you open your eyes, we'll

Leanne up for good, sitting up

.net

albeit with a mix of excitement and skepticism, never imagining it would

passport..." she remembered the crucial

her,

my luggage..." Leanne said,

smart, brave, and strong,

morning light

we're missing, we can buy there. Except for you, nothing else

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