"Sometimes, the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest leap of your life."
— Naeem Callaway
They sat together on the luxurious grey couch, facing the large TV mounted on the opposite wall.
"What genre do you want to watch?" Levi asked, handing her the remote.
Maeve took it gently. "I like a lot of genres. I can't really decide. You choose."
"I don't really watch movies though," he replied casually.
She let out a soft laugh. "Then let's watch a movie based on a book I've read, it's called Little women."
She scrolled through the options, found the movie and pressed play. Then she curled up comfortably, her eyes focused on the screen.
But Levi never looked at the movie.
For all two hours and fourteen minutes that the movie lasted for, his gaze was fixed on her. How she laughed without restraint during the funny parts, how her eyes warmed with emotion, how she gasped softly when surprised—like she was rediscovering joy in real time. He watched her like someone trying to solve a complex but captivating math equation. Like every expression she made revealed another hidden variable he was desperate to understand.
He didn't even realize the movie had ended.
Maeve turned to him. "Did you like it?" she asked.
"Yeah… I did," he said. "Just a little confused."
He wasn't talking about the movie.
She nodded. "Yeah, it was a bit confusing. They didn't really portray it the way the book did. Everything felt rushed—probably because it wasn't a series." She continued talking, animated and thoughtful, explaining plot holes and character changes.
Levi didn't say a word.
He just watched her.
His new favorite mystery. A puzzle he didn't mind spending forever trying to solve.
---
Days passed.
Thanks to Levi, Noelle, and consistent physiotherapy, Maeve slowly began walking again. Not for long—just small minutes at a time—but it was enough to feel like a major victory. The first time she managed to walk twenty whole minutes without help, she went straight from the garden lounge to Levi's room, her steps shaky but determined.
"I walked all the way here," she beamed when she saw him. "No help. At all."
Levi looked up from the chair by his window, stunned at first. Then a small smile pulled at his lips.
"That's amazing," he said. "Really."
But what shocked him more was what happened next—Maeve, unable to contain her happiness, ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.
His body stiffened immediately, like it wasn't used to being held. She noticed and, instead of pulling away, she hugged him tighter.
"I'm just... so happy, thank you." she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion.
Then, standing on her toes, she let go, slid her arms up from his waist to his shoulders—and pressed a soft kiss to his jaw, the only part of him her height could reach.
Levi froze.
His eyes widened, lips parted slightly, like he hadn't just been surprised, but completely caught off guard. When was the last time someone touched him like that, completely invading his space—without fear, without expectations—just pure gratitude and joy?.
Maeve stepped back, still smiling.
He finally blinked—snapping out of his stupor, returning to his usual stoic exterior.
"You deserve a reward, Maeve," he said. "You've come a long way."
"I agree with you." She lifted her tiny shoulders in a playful shrug, her face smug.
That cracked him.
He laughed. For the first time in a long time.
A full, rich, unrestrained laugh.
Maeve stared, stunned—and enchanted.
It sounded expensive, like velvet being wrapped around her ears. For ten full seconds, he laughed. And in those ten seconds, she fell even deeper.
When he stopped, veins lightly stood out along his neck, a testament to how deep that laugh had come from.
"You've never done that before," she said, in awe. Like she had found gold.
He paused, their eyes locked. For the first time since her abduction, she looked directly into his warm brown eyes.
"Ten things," he said simply. "Anything you want to do. I'll do them for you and with you."
Her eyes widened. "Anything at all?"
He nodded.
She lit up like a sunbeam.
"Oh! and I have something for you," he added, walking over to a drawer. He wore a red long-sleeve shirt and black cargo sweatpants—casual, but on him, nothing ever looked truly casual.
He pulled out a small, white rectangular box and handed it to her.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Use it to research all the things you want to try," he said.
She opened it—an iPad.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I'll make sure to return it after I'm done—"
"No," he cut in gently. "It's yours."
Her chest tightened. "Thank you. For everything." A look of gratitude on her face.
She turned and walked out, holding the iPad close like a lottery ticket.
Levi watched her leave, then ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly.
She was starting to affect him in ways that he didn't want her to.