After breakfast, Lariette and Ruediger settled onto the couch, their plates cleared. The scent of cinnamon and maple butter still warm, lingering in the air.
Both of them had another serving of the French toast. Ruediger separated the ones he wanted to give to the Campbells in a paper box.
Through the windows, they saw the bare branches swaying gently in the breeze and the dried fallen leaves scattering across the yard. The late autumn sunlight cast a pale, golden glow through the sheer curtains.
Lariette and Ruediger sipped their hot black tea, neither spoke of the night before after the brief talk earlier. The clock continued ticking, shifting the hour to ten-fifteen in the morning.
Humming, Lariette tilted her chin, staring at Ruediger's side profile. As he noticed her gaze, he turned toward her, his eyes gentle and flickering with warm affection.
Then, he leaned in, kissing her face. She chuckled before returning the same gesture. Once again they shared soft laughter.
