CHAPTER 38

Patricia awoke the next morning, cocooned in the soft, warm sheets of Alvin’s bed. The feel of the fabric against her bare skin brought her back to the intimate moments they had shared just hours earlier. A shiver ran down her spine, a mixture of the cool morning air and the lingering sensations from last night. She instinctively reached for the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. Alvin was gone.

The rhythmic sound of water splashing against tiles drew her attention, and she realized he must already be in the shower. Her lips curled into a small, private smile. The memories of last night flooded her mind—memories of skin against skin, whispered words, and a passion that had reignited after all these years.

It felt surreal. Had it really been so long since they had last been together like this? The years had passed in a blur, filled with so many twists of fate, and yet, here she was again in Alvin’s bed. Patricia’s mind briefly wandered to Robert, her ex-husband. She couldn’t