Falling for the Goddess

Goodnight, My Moon

Adrian Blake immediately noticed something was off with Sara Hart. His chest tightened as he gently asked, "Why are you crying?"

Sara quickly turned the camera away, wiped her tears, and forced a smile before pointing the camera back at herself. "I'm not crying. My eyes were just feeling a bit uncomfortable."

Adrian's worry deepened, but he didn't push. "Did your dad say something to upset you?"

She shook her head, her voice soft and tinged with melancholy. "No, he didn't. He wouldn't scold me."

Adrian's heart ached as he looked at her. "Don't fight with him because of me, okay? Let me come over tomorrow. I'll talk to him myself, and we'll work this out. Trust me."

"You're really coming tomorrow?" she asked, her voice muffled with emotion.

"Of course. Now that I know, how could I not? Meeting your father and earning his approval is something I should've done long ago."

"I'm sorry..." Sara said suddenly, her head bowing slightly.

Adrian frowned. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I should've told you about my parents sooner," she admitted, her tone regretful. "I didn't mean to hide it. I just didn't know how to bring it up, and the timing was never right."

"Silly girl," he said softly. "There's nothing to apologize for."

He sighed, his voice gentle. "None of this is your fault. If anything, it's on me for not thinking ahead. Meeting your parents is something I should've insisted on earlier."

Sara nodded, her gaze fixed downward. She didn't dare look at him, afraid that her carefully contained emotions might spill over.

Sensing her distress, Adrian's heart ached even more. He wished he could reach through the screen, hold her close, and comfort her. But for now, he knew he needed to be patient. Before anything else, he had to win over her father.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

Sara hesitated but finally took a deep breath. Her voice was steady yet filled with vulnerability as she began to explain. "I thought I didn't care. I thought I had moved past it—that I didn't hold any resentment or anger toward them. But tonight, I realized I was wrong."

Her voice faltered as she continued. "When my parents divorced, I lived with my grandmother in South City. My mom rarely called, and my dad... he barely existed in my life. He sent money every month, but that was it."

She paused, her gaze distant. "When Grandma passed away, my world fell apart. She was my everything. Without her, I felt lost."

Sara's voice cracked slightly as she recalled those painful years. "Then I was brought to a place where I didn't know anyone. My dad tried to take care of me, but he didn't really know how. He was always busy with work, and we barely spoke."

Her hands trembled slightly as she clasped them together. "I thought I could keep things simple—just maintain a polite distance and not expect anything more. But deep down, I realized I still cared. I still wanted a father who truly knew me, who would make me feel like I belonged."

Listening to her, Adrian's eyes softened with an overwhelming tenderness. "Sara, what you're feeling is normal. Everyone yearns for love and connection, especially from their parents. You've already done so well, better than most."

"Do you really think so?" she asked hesitantly.

"I know so," he reassured her. "You've always been stronger than you think."

"But I feel like I've made such a mess of things," she murmured, biting her lip. "I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't."

Adrian shook his head, his voice unwavering. "You've handled it beautifully. If it were me, I wouldn't have done half as well."

They talked for a while longer, Adrian's steady presence gradually easing her tension. He kept the video call on, even as she brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. By the time she crawled into bed, she looked visibly calmer.

"Get some rest," he urged. "I'll see you in the morning."

"But I don't think I can fall asleep," she admitted, glancing around her room. It had been years since she stayed in this house, and the memories it held were overwhelming.

Her room was exactly as she'd left it—pink, frilly, and full of stuffed animals. The decor was meant to be comforting, but back then, it had felt like a hollow attempt to mask her loneliness.

"Then let me keep you company," Adrian said. "Turn off the lights and lie down. I'll stay here until you fall asleep."

"Okay..." Sara obediently switched off the light and snuggled under the covers, placing the phone on the pillow beside her.

As silence settled between them, she whispered, "What if my dad makes things difficult for you tomorrow?"

Adrian's lips curved into a faint smile. "He's your dad. It's his right to be protective. Don't worry about me."

He paused, then added, "How about I read you something? Close your eyes and listen."

Sara's heart softened. "Alright."

Adrian reached for a poetry book on his nightstand, flipping it open to a random page. His deep, velvety voice filled the quiet room as he began to recite:

"What can I hold you with?
I offer you lean streets, desperate sunsets, the moon of the jagged suburbs.
I offer you the bitterness of a man who has looked long and long at the lonely moon.
I offer you my ancestors, my dead men, the ghosts that living men have honored in marble: my father's father killed in the frontier of Buenos Aires, two bullets through his lungs, bearded and dead, wrapped by his soldiers in the hide of a cow..."

His voice was soothing, lulling her into a state of tranquility. As he continued, the tension in her shoulders melted away.

Her breathing had evened out by the time he reached the final stanza. He set the book aside, gazing at her through the screen with a tenderness that only deepened.

"Goodnight, my moon," he whispered softly.

And with that, he ended the call.