breezy bri

Sarah wrapped her arms around his bicep, thick with muscle from lifting and working in his day-to-day job. She laced her fingers through the curly hairs on his arm, locking herself into her favourite position. Her face rested on the sleeve of his white work polo, the textured fabric rubbing against her cheek. She glanced up to her dad’s face, the light of the TV playing across his stubbled face and exhausted expression. He was barely paying attention, mostly zoning out after his long day. She nuzzled closer to him and breathed deeply. Besides being close to her dad, another reason Sarah loved these nightly cuddles was being able to smell her dad. Even after a long day of work, he never seemed to smell bad, and in fact it mostly enhanced his musk. It was hard to describe, but it was mostly smoky, with some savoury notes as well, something like a campfire meal she always thought. It was hearty and comforting to her and always made her feel better no matter what sort of day she had.

Their smiles slowly faded away. It was clear her dad was talking about mom, who a year ago had decided to drop all social ties and go travelling around the world, leaving all this info in a letter that they only found and read a few days after she left. Neither of them had any idea how long she’d been planning it, why she would do it to them, or if she was even coming back.

Abner was carried away, and Reiss limped back into the hypogeum. The next two fighters entered the ring, and one of them was Noah’s next target. Hopefully, this fight would be simple, but he noticed the man he was after pulling out a medallion and kissing it. “Soon, my love, I’ll win this tournament, and with the money, I’ll be able to pay for your medicine, and we’ll live happily ever after.”