total eclipse

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The evening air in Tuscany was soft, carrying the warmth of the day in gentle waves as the sun dipped low over the vineyard

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The evening air in Tuscany was soft, carrying the warmth of the day in gentle waves as the sun dipped low over the vineyard. Lada stood on the balcony of her family's estate, her fingers tracing the cool stone railing as her gaze wandered over the rows of grapevines stretching toward the horizon. The sky was painted in hues of gold and pink, and the world around her felt like a dream-a dream she had been living ever since Earn came into her life. A faint smile tugged at her lips. This place, the endless fields and the quiet beauty of the countryside, had always felt like home, but now, with Earn by her side, it had transformed into something more. A place of possibilities, of warmth, of love.

Behind her, she could sense Earn's presence without even turning. It had been like this for some time now, a quiet understanding between them that needed no words. Earn was her everything-her anchor, her joy, the reason her heart beat a little faster every time she heard her footsteps. Lada's chest filled with a deep contentment, the kind that made everything else in the world fade away. She wasn't thinking about tomorrow or next week, or even the next hour. She was here, with Earn, and that was enough.

Lada turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of Earn lingering in the doorway. Her heart skipped, as it always did when she saw her. Earn, with her effortlessly tousled blonde hair and that look in her eyes that always made Lada feel like the luckiest woman in the world. There was nothing in this moment that could make her think otherwise.

"P'Mor," Earn's voice broke through the quiet, a soft call, hesitant, as though she didn't want to disturb the peace of the evening. Lada smiled at the sound, the nickname still sending a warm flutter through her chest, even after all this time. She turned fully to face Earn, her eyes bright, expectant.

Earn stood there in the doorway, her hands tucked into her pockets, her shoulders tense in a way that Lada noticed but quickly dismissed. Lada had seen Earn retreat into her thoughts lately, her gaze distant, her words fewer. It wasn't like Earn to be so quiet, and it gnawed at Lada's mind. She had asked, cautiously, a few times if everything was okay, but Earn had smiled it away. Now, as she looked at Earn standing in the doorway, Lada felt a chill beneath the warmth of the Tuscan air. Was it fear? The kind that whispered that everything good could vanish in a heartbeat? She swallowed, brushing the feeling away, hoping-praying-that it was nothing.

It worried her, but she assumed it was natural. They both would soon leave Italy behind and return to Thailand-a place where many eyes would be on them, judging, expecting. It made sense that Earn would be nervous about stepping back into that world. Lada took a step toward her, the soft fabric of her dress brushing against her legs.

"You're quiet tonight," Lada said gently, her voice laced with affection. She crossed the space between them and reached for Earn's hand, her fingers intertwining with hers effortlessly. There was something so natural about the way they fit together, a quiet understanding in every touch.

Earn looked at her for a long moment, her gaze steady but unreadable. Lada's heart swelled with love as she searched Earn's eyes for some sign of what she was feeling. But Earn's expression remained distant, and Lada quickly pushed the thought away.

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