Night settled over the mansion gently, like a deep exhale after a long, emotional day.
The laughter had faded, the music silenced, the guests gone. What remained was a quiet so profound it felt sacred. Lamps glowed softly in the corridors, their warm light brushing over walls that had witnessed years of restraint, expectation, and unspoken longing.
Jay stood in the bedroom doorway, suddenly aware of everything.
The room looked familiar—yet entirely different. The same tall windows, the same carved furniture—but tonight, it held a new weight. Not obligation. Not ceremony.
Choice.
Keifer closed the door behind them with a soft click, the sound echoing louder than it should have. For a moment, neither moved.
"So," he said quietly, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's just us now."
Jay turned to look at him. Really look at him. Not dressed for the world, not surrounded by expectations—just Keifer. Her husband. The word felt unreal and grounding at the same time.
"Yeah," she replied softly. "Just us."
She took a few steps forward, then stopped, unsure why her heart was suddenly racing again. Keifer noticed immediately. He always did.
"Hey," he murmured, reaching for her hands. His touch was warm, steady. "There's no rush. We're not performing for anyone anymore."
Her shoulders relaxed at that.
She let out a quiet laugh. "I know. It's just… everything feels different."
He lifted her hands, pressing a slow kiss to her knuckles. "It is different. But it's still us."
They moved around the room unhurriedly—Jay setting aside her jewelry, Keifer loosening his collar, both of them glancing at each other like they were memorizing this version of the night. The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was full.
When Jay finally sat on the edge of the bed, Keifer joined her, close but not crowding.
"Do you remember," she said after a moment, "how much we used to hold back?"
He smiled faintly. "Every second."
She leaned into him then, resting her head against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her without hesitation, pulling her closer, grounding them both.
For a while, they just stayed like that—listening to the night, feeling the truth of the moment settle into their bones.
Keifer brushed his thumb along her arm, slow and absentminded. "I kept imagining this," he admitted quietly. "Not the wedding. This part. The quiet after."
Jay tilted her head to look at him. "Me too."
He turned, forehead resting against hers. No urgency. No hunger that demanded more than the moment could give. Just warmth, affection, belonging.
When he kissed her, it was gentle—unrushed, familiar, deep with everything they didn't need to say out loud. Jay melted into it, hands curling into his shirt, heart steady in a way it had never been before.
Eventually, they lay down together, the weight of the day finally catching up to them. Jay tucked herself against his chest instinctively, like it was the most natural place in the world.
Keifer's arm tightened around her, protective, sure.
"Jay," he murmured into her hair, voice low and sincere. "You know I don't take this lightly. Any of it."
She smiled softly, eyes closed. "I know."
The mansion slept around them, quiet and watchful, but no longer heavy. For the first time, its silence felt like peace instead of restraint.
As the lights dimmed and the night deepened, Jay drifted off wrapped in his warmth, Keifer's heartbeat steady beneath her ear.
No expectations left to meet.
No pretending left to do.
Just two people, finally allowed to rest—together.
Morning crept into the mansion slowly, sunlight slipping through the tall windows like it had nowhere else to be.
Jay woke first.
For a second, she didn't move—just lay there, listening. The steady rhythm beneath her cheek, the arm wrapped securely around her waist, the quiet certainty of not being alone anymore.
She smiled before she even opened her eyes.
Keifer shifted slightly, tightening his hold, half-asleep. "You're awake," he mumbled, voice rough with sleep.
"Mm," she replied softly. "Good morning."
He pressed a lazy kiss into her hair, not opening his eyes yet. "Morning, wife."
The word still felt new. Jay laughed quietly, nudging him. "Get up. Your parents will notice if we vanish all morning."
"That's future-me's problem," he muttered, pulling her closer for another second before finally giving in.
By the time they made it downstairs, the mansion was already alive again—tea cups clinking, soft laughter floating through the drawing room.
The moment Jay and Keifer walked in together, hand in hand, conversation paused.
Just for a heartbeat.
Then Keifer's mother smiled far too knowingly.
"Well," she said, lifting her teacup, "look who finally decided to join us."
Jay felt heat rush to her face instantly. "Good morning," she said, trying—and failing—to sound composed.
Keifer's father leaned back in his chair, amused. "You slept well, I assume?"
"Very well," Keifer answered smoothly, squeezing Jay's hand before she could respond.
Jay shot him a warning look. He only smiled wider.
Her mother joined in, eyes twinkling. "We were beginning to think the mansion had lost two of its residents overnight."
Jay groaned softly. "Ma—"
"Oh relax," her mother laughed. "We're allowed to tease. We earned it."
Keifer's mother stood, walking over to adjust Jay's hair affectionately. "You look… happy. Both of you."
Jay met her eyes, smile soft and genuine. "We are."
Keifer's father cleared his throat, mock-serious. "Just remember—breakfast is at a reasonable hour in this house. Marriage doesn't change that."
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "Noted."
Jay leaned closer to him, whispering, "They're enjoying this way too much."
He whispered back, "Let them. They waited longer than we did."
Laughter filled the room again, easy and unguarded.
As they sat together at the table, shoulders brushing, fingers occasionally tangling beneath it, Jay realized something quietly profound.
The mansion didn't feel intimidating anymore.
It felt like family.
And as Keifer passed her tea, their parents watching with fond, teasing smiles, Jay knew—this was the beginning of a life filled not just with love, but with warmth, humor, and a little harmless chaos.