Morning Revelations

Sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting patterns across my face and stirring me from sleep. For a moment, I lay disoriented, my mind struggling to reconcile the unfamiliar softness of the mattress beneath me. This wasn't my cramped bedroom above the bar.

Reality crashed in. The penthouse. Damien's offer. Our whirlwind move.

I sat up, running my fingers across the silken sheets - another luxury I'd never afforded myself. The bedroom stretched out before me, spacious and elegant, making me feel small and out of place. Like a child playing dress-up in her mother's clothes.

My chest tightened with an uncomfortable mix of gratitude and guilt. How had I let this happen? In the harsh light of morning, Damien's generosity felt overwhelming. The apartment, the job offer, the fresh start - it was too much. I didn't deserve this kind of kindness.