C51 Taking Care of Cathleen

The clock struck midnight, its chiming a solemn whisper against the stillness of the night. Cathleen's eyelids fluttered open in the dim glow of the moonlight filtering through the gauzy curtains. Xavier's rhythmic breathing was the gentle counterpoint to the stillness—an anchor in the great sea of stillness.

She watched him. The rise and fall of his chest were steady and calm