Whispered Promises

Dark Melody

Despite lying in a comfortable bed beside Sir, sleep proved nearly impossible for Brie. She was unable to stop those horrible lyrics from playing over and over again in her mind.

It made for a fitful sleep that provided her little rest. As soon as the sky lightened with predawn, Brie gave up on trying to sleep altogether and quietly slipped out of bed.

She headed up to the nursery and stood beside Antony’s crib, watching him as he slept. The look on his sweet face was so peaceful and innocent that it helped combat the feelings of helplessness and terror, although it could not quiet the song in her head.

Brie let out a shriek when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Antony’s eyes instantly popped open, and he started to wail.

“I’m sorry I startled you, babygirl,” Sir apologized, picking up the baby to comfort him.

The lyrics grew even louder in Brie’s head, making it difficult for her to think. “You scared me.”

“That’s obvious,” he whispered, patting Antony’s back to get him to quiet down. “Were you able to get any sleep?”

“Some.” Brie looked at her son sorrowfully. “I didn’t mean to wake my little boy.”

“No harm done,” Sir assured her. He laid Antony back down in the crib and covered him with the blanket. Taking Brie’s hand, he led her out of the room.

Once they were downstairs, he asked, “Would you like to go back to bed?”

“No,” Brie replied, although she was desperate for rest. With the song still playing in her head, she knew sleep was impossible.

“Nonna’s hot chocolate, then?”

She looked at him gratefully. “That would be perfect, Sir.”

Brie watched as he made his grandmother’s drink. His movements were fluid and concise as he grated the dark chocolate and sprinkled it into the double boiler. Her mouth started to water when he poured the melted chocolate into the pot of warm milk. Stirring it slowly, he glanced at her and smiled.

That tender smile melted her heart.

Pouring the hot chocolate into two mugs, Sir added a dash of cinnamon on top of both and walked to her, holding the mugs. “Let’s watch the sunrise together,” he suggested.

Handing the mugs to her, Sir grabbed a throw blanket from the couch. She followed him out back and watched as he pulled the outdoor loveseat over to get a better view of the ocean.

Brie sighed in contentment, snuggling up against him when he covered her in the blanket. She wrapped her hands around the hot mug and sighed happily. “This is nice.”

Sir nodded as he stared out at the ocean.

Because it was so early, no one was on the beach. It made the moment intimate and cozy. “This reminds me of when we watched the sunrise in Russia,” Brie murmured before taking a sip of the decadent chocolate.

“I agree. Although they are a world apart, watching the sun announce the start of a new day has a profound impact.”

“It does, Sir.”

They sat there in silence, listening to the waves as the predawn sky slowly changed in color as the sun rising in the east infused the clouds in the west with its brilliance.

It was peaceful and timeless.

Thankfully, the song had retreated to the background, giving her a moment of peace. However, something was still weighing on her mind.

“Have you spoken to Mary, Sir?”

“Not personally. Why?”

“I’m worried about her.”

“Then you should talk to her yourself. I believe you both would benefit from seeing each other.”