La Familià (Lim X Vergara Family) Au

XXIII

The house is quiet, the kids finally asleep after the usual bedtime chaos. Soft, ambient lighting fills the living room as Ariah collapses onto the couch, still in her scrubs, her exhaustion apparent. Mac, dressed in business attire, walks in with two glasses of wine in hand, her expression softening when she sees Ariah.

"Rough day?"

Ariah gives a tired but grateful smile, leaning back into the couch cushions.
"You have no idea. Back-to-back surgeries, patient consults... I barely had time to breathe."

Mac hands her one of the glasses, sitting down beside her and kicking off her shoes, feeling the weight of her own day as CEO melt away. She takes a sip of wine, her hand resting on Ariah's knee in a comforting gesture.
"Well, you're home now. No more patients, no more meetings. Just us."

Ariah smiles, the stress of the day slowly easing off her shoulders. She takes a sip of wine, leaning into Mac's side. There's a peaceful silence between them for a moment, the hum of the city outside fading away as they focus on each other.

"And how was the glamorous life of a CEO today?"

Mac chuckles softly, her thumb absentmindedly stroking Ariah's knee as she responds. "Glamorous? More like endless emails, phone calls, and trying to convince the board to approve that new project. But now? This is the part I look forward to."

Ariah tilts her head up, resting her chin on Mac's shoulder as she looks up at her wife with a soft smile.
"You always know how to make me feel better."

Mac turns to her, meeting her gaze with a loving smile. She brushes a strand of hair from Ariah's face, her voice gentle but filled with sincerity.
"You're the best part of my day, Ariah. No matter how crazy it gets."

Ariah's heart swells at the words, her tiredness momentarily forgotten as she leans in to kiss Mac softly. The kiss is slow, tender, a welcome relief after the chaos of their demanding careers. When they pull apart, they rest their foreheads together, savoring the quiet intimacy.

"I love you. Babi"

"I love you too. Bab"

They settle back into the couch, Ariah resting her head on Mac's shoulder as they enjoy the peaceful stillness of the evening. The wine glasses sit forgotten on the coffee table as they curl into each other, the worries of the day left behind. In this moment, it's just them no work, no stress just the quiet comfort of being together.

The room is dimly lit by a desk lamp, its soft glow casting shadows over scattered textbooks and notes. Mairwen sits at her desk, hunched over her books, her brow furrowed in concentration. She's been studying for hours, the house quiet with everyone else asleep. The only sound is the faint rustle of pages and the ticking of a clock.

Suddenly, her phone buzzes next to her notebook, the screen lighting up with Max's name. Mairwen smiles, a bit of the tension in her shoulders easing as she grabs the phone.

"Hey, babe you. What're you doing up this late?"

On the other end of the line, Max's voice is soft but playful, clearly happy to hear her voice

"I could ask you the same thing! Just wanted to check in on my favorite overachiever. Still hitting the books?"

Mairwen laughs lightly, leaning back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes.
"You know me too well. I've got this huge test coming up, and I feel like I'm drowning in notes."

"Don't tell me you're planning to study all night again. You need sleep, babe."

Mairwen glances at the time on her phone it's already past midnight but the sound of Max's voice makes her forget her exhaustion for a moment.

"I'll sleep soon, I promise. But hearing from you is helping more than coffee right now."

Max chuckles, her voice warm through the phone. "I'm glad to be of service. But seriously, don't overdo it. You're gonna ace that test, I know you will. You're too smart not to."

Mairwen's heart softens at Max's encouragement, the stress of the night slipping away slightly as they talk. She leans her head back against her chair, closing her eyes as she listens to Max's voice.

"Thanks. You always know what to say."

There's a comfortable pause, filled only by the sound of Max's quiet breathing on the other end. It feels like they're closer, despite the miles between them.

"Wish I could be there with you, help you relax after all that studying."

Mairwen smiles, her fingers tracing the edge of her notebook absentmindedly."Me too. Just hearing your voice helps though."

They stay on the phone for a little longer, talking about nothing in particular, just enjoying the comfort of each other's presence. Mairwen finally starts to feel the weight of the long day settling in, her eyelids growing heavy.

"You're getting sleepy, aren't you?"

Mairwen chuckles, nodding even though Max can't see her. "Yeah... I think it's finally catching up to me."

"Good. You need rest. Get some sleep, okay?"

Mairwen smiles, her heart warm from Max's care. She glances at her books one last time before deciding they can wait until morning. "I will. Thanks for calling, Max. You always know how to make me feel better."

"Anytime. Sweet dreams, babe. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, babe."

She hangs up, her room feeling a little less lonely after their conversation. Mairwen stretches, turning off her desk lamp and slipping into bed, her heart lighter and her mind a little more at ease as she drifts off to sleep.