The Kiss And Welcome

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice edged with suspicion.

Adolphus didn’t answer right away. He dipped his hands into the water, cupping it before pouring it over her feet.

Seraphina froze.

His movements were slow, deliberate, and reverent.

With each gentle pour, he rinsed away the dirt and tension that clung to her, his touch impossibly soft for someone so powerful, so destructive.

“You don’t have to carry the weight alone,” he said finally, his voice low and steady. “You don’t have to bear the pain by yourself.”

She stared at him, her heart twisting in her chest. “You’re the one who caused it,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You’re the reason I have nothing left.”

Adolphus paused, his hands stilling. When he looked up at her, his dark eyes were filled with a regret so raw it made her breath catch.

“I know,” he said quietly. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for it… if you’ll let me.”