Chapter 80: A Late Night Surprise

It was the middle of the night when Taylor landed in Los Angeles from her European tour. The jet lag was still messing with her head, but the excitement of finally being back in the city she now shared with Thomas kept her awake. She missed home, but mostly missed Thomas. They had been texting each other for the past few weeks, but that wasn't enough. She wanted to feel his arms around her again, hear his voice in person, and share a bit of their routine.

Without warning, Taylor decided to surprise Thomas. She took a taxi and headed straight to their house. The ride was short, but her anxiety grew with every mile she traveled. Finally, she arrived at the house, where the lights were off except for a single reading lamp in the bedroom, visible through the windows. It made her smile. "He must have fallen asleep reading," she thought.

She took her keys out of her purse and quietly entered the house, closing the door carefully so as not to make any noise. The silence was comforting, the calm of being in her own space with the person she loved. Taylor set her suitcase in a corner of the room and climbed the stairs, moving slowly to the bedroom, where she knew Thomas would be sleeping.

When she opened the bedroom door, she found exactly what she expected: Thomas was lying on the bed, sound asleep, with a book lying on his chest. The soft light from the reading lamp gently illuminated his face, revealing the serene expression of someone at peace. Taylor stood there for a moment, just watching him. He looked so calm, so strong, even in sleep.

She smiled to herself, feeling her heart warm at the sight. Suddenly, all the tiredness of the trip disappeared, and all that was left was the happiness of being back in his arms.

Decided to surprise him, Taylor took off her shoes and walked to the side of the bed. Carefully, she took the book from Thomas's hands, placing it on the nightstand next to it. Then, with a slow and gentle movement, she lay down next to him, nestling herself against his chest, resting her head there. Feeling the warmth of his body against hers caused a wave of comfort and familiarity to envelop her.

Thomas, still half asleep, moved slightly when he felt Taylor's presence, but he didn't wake up immediately. Taylor, taking advantage of the moment, smiled and ran her hand gently over his chest, whispering affectionately:

"I'm home."

It was then that he opened his eyes, still a little confused by sleep, but soon realizing that Taylor was there. A slow, sleepy smile formed on his face.

"Taylor?" he murmured, his voice hoarse from sleep.

She laughed softly, lifting her head to look into his eyes.

"Yes, it's me. I wanted to surprise you."

Thomas reached out, wrapping his arm around Taylor and pulling her closer. His touch was firm and affectionate, and the smile on his face showed how happy he was to see her.

— "What a wonderful surprise," he said, kissing her forehead. "I've missed you so much."

— "Me too. I couldn't wait to go home," she replied, snuggling even closer into his arms.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's closeness, as if the outside world didn't exist. Taylor could hear Thomas's breathing, calm and regular, and the rhythmic sound was like a melody that soothed her.

— "How were the shows?" he asked, breaking the silence softly.

— "They were amazing, as always, but it's so good to be back," she replied, running her fingers through his hair. "I missed you so much."

Thomas stroked her arm with his thumb, a small but affectionate gesture.

— "I missed you too. The days seem longer when you're not around."

Taylor smiled, kissing his neck lightly.

— "Well, now I'm here. And I plan on not leaving you any time soon."

— "Promise?" he teased, smiling back.

— "I promise," she said, sealing the promise with a soft kiss on his lips.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Taylor looked at Thomas with a twinkle in her eye.

— "Now that I'm back, we have to enjoy our time together. What do you say we do something special tomorrow? Just the two of us."

Thomas looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded with a smile.

— "I think that's a great idea. We can do whatever you want. Something more relaxed or adventurous, I'm up for it."

Taylor laughed and rolled her eyes, knowing that Thomas always left the leisure decisions in her hands.

— "How about a relaxing day? We can have breakfast at our favorite bakery and then spend the afternoon here at home, watching movies and relaxing. I need to recover from jet lag," she suggested.

— "That sounds perfect," Thomas agreed. "Besides, I've been missing our quiet days at home, too."

After planning the next day, the tiredness of the trip finally began to weigh on Taylor, and she snuggled deeper into Thomas's arms, closing her eyes. He continued to stroke her hair as she murmured something about how happy she was to be back. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep, lulled by each other's comforting presence.

It was a peaceful night, without worries, without the chaos of work or the media. Just the two of them, together, in the space they had created as their home.

That night, Taylor and Thomas slept side by side, enjoying the silent intimacy that only true love can provide. They knew that the coming weeks would bring new challenges, but also new adventures. The most important thing was that they were together, ready to face whatever came.

And there, under the soft light of the lamp in the bedroom, wrapped in the comfort of being together again, they shared the most precious thing of all: the present moment.