"I know," she murmured, and there was acceptance in her voice rather than resistance. "That is why I trust your judgment. You will protect me even from myself if necessary, which is something I have never allowed anyone else to do in either lifetime. But with you, I can let go of that constant need to control everything because I know you will not let me fall too far."
They lay together in comfortable silence for several minutes, both of them processing the events of the day and the dramatic changes that had occurred in their relationship dynamics over the past twenty-four hours. The monitors continued their steady beeping, tracking heartbeats and vital signs that showed two patients recovering well from their respective traumas, though the numbers on the screens could never capture the emotional healing that was happening in the simple act of being together.
