Ellen woke up the next morning with a smile still on her face. She stretched beneath the covers, feeling the warmth of the morning and the lingering happiness from the day before. Memories of her date with Mason came flooding back—the laughter, the aquarium, and... the kiss. She giggled softly, pulling her knees up to her chest as she replayed that moment over and over again in her mind.
The kiss...
Her heart still fluttered at the thought of Mason leaning in, the warmth of his hand on her cheek, the feel of his lips against hers. Ellen couldn’t help but blush. She had never felt like this before. It was a light, amazing feeling she didn’t know she needed.
She sighed contentedly, hugging her pillow close for a moment longer. "Ah," she whispered to herself, her voice barely above a breath, "it’s beautiful."
Ellen eventually pushed herself up, sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet dangling above the cool floor. Her gaze drifted to the small bedside table and there, sitting neatly in the middle, was a little keychain in the shape of a starfish. Her smile grew bigger, and she gently reached out to touch it, handling it like it was something really special.
The tiny starfish painted in soft shades of blue with little sparkles scattered across its surface. Ellen turned it over gently, admiring its detail. That was what Mason slipped into her hand when he kissed her.
She remembered seeing it in the gift shop during their date, tucked away among other ocean-themed trinkets. But she hadn’t noticed when Mason had bought it.
Ellen held the keychain up to the light, her smile growing even fonder. "He must’ve gotten it while I wasn’t looking," she murmured to herself.
For a moment, she felt her heart swell with emotion. This was the first thing Mason had ever given her, something small but meaningful. The thought that he had picked it out just for her made the gesture feel even more special. Ellen ran her thumb over the tiny starfish again, her heart softening as she promised herself, "I’ll keep this forever."
Ellen could barely contain her excitement as she sat at the breakfast table later, her eyes occasionally drifting toward Mason. She smiled and giggled to herself, reliving the memories of their date. And there Mason was, sitting just across from her, as calm and composed as ever, sipping his coffee like nothing had changed. But for Ellen, everything had changed.
Every now and then, she would steal a glance at Mason, biting back a giggle that threatened to escape. She just couldn’t help it. The whole morning had been perfect so far, and even though they weren’t doing anything special, Ellen felt like she was floating.
Mason, of course, noticed. He always noticed. His sharp eyes caught the way she kept sneaking glances at him, the way her lips twitched with a barely suppressed grin. He set his coffee cup down with a soft clink and raised an eyebrow, his expression stern but with a hint of curiosity.
"What’s going on with you?" he asked.
Ellen looked up quickly, her cheeks instantly turning pink. She shook her head, forcing herself to keep her expression neutral, but the shy smile betrayed her. "Nothing," she answered. She waved her hand as if brushing off his question, but she couldn’t hide the sparkle in her eyes.
Mason narrowed his gaze slightly, as if trying to read her thoughts. He didn’t push further, though, just kept watching her with that steady, unreadable look of his. Ellen, though, was struggling to hold back her giggles. She picked up her fork again, pretending to focus on her breakfast, but she could feel the warmth of Mason’s gaze on her.
As they finished eating, Ellen stood up from the table, feeling the same giddiness that had carried her through the morning. It was a habit now—walking Mason to the door before he left for work. She followed him to the front entrance, her footsteps light as she trailed behind him.
Mason reached for the door, his hand on the knob as he turned slightly toward her. "I’m heading out now," he stated.
But before he could fully turn away, something sparked inside Ellen. "Wait," she blurted out, her voice stopping him mid-motion.
Mason paused and looked back at her, his brow raised, waiting for her to explain. Ellen stood there, her heart suddenly racing, but the words had already escaped her lips. There was no turning back now. Without giving herself time to second-guess, she quickly stepped forward, standing on her tiptoes to close the distance between them.
Then, with a quick movement, she pressed her lips softly against his cheek.
It was a brief kiss, just a light brush of her lips against his skin, but it felt like so much more. The warmth of his cheek lingered on her lips as she stepped back. She couldn’t believe she had just done that. But hey.... he was her husband. There was nothing wrong with it.
Her mind raced, wondering if she had overstepped, but the moment she saw his expression, she knew she had made the right choice.
Mason stood there, perfectly still, his usual stern face slightly softened by surprise. His dark eyes flickered with something she couldn’t quite place, but it wasn’t anger or frustration. If anything, he seemed... amused. Maybe even touched.
Ellen, on the other hand, felt her cheeks burning. She fumbled for something to say, her voice barely a whisper. "Good luck at work," she murmured, forcing a small, shy smile.
Her heart was beating so fast she thought he might hear it. She could feel the heat rising to her face, and she mentally kicked herself for being so flustered. But then Mason did something unexpected.
He reached out, his hand gentle as it brushed against her cheek, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His touch was gentle and soft, but there was something about it that made Ellen catch her breath. His fingers lingered for just a second before he stepped back, his expression still unreadable, but there was something undeniably tender in his gaze.
"Thank you," he said quietly. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out the door, leaving Ellen there, feeling like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
Ah.... What a beautiful morning...