It was late at night, the skies being dark beyond the windows.
Sandra Moore woke up slowly from her dream, feeling a wave of fatigue and soreness.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the man lying beside her right away.
At this moment, his eyes were closed.
Under the moonlight, she could see the man's slightly tan skin, which made him look sunny, robust, and masculine.
Thinking of the previous night's events, Sandra's face couldn't help but reveal a hint of indescribable shyness.
She got up, shifting her gaze towards the bright moon, hanging in the deep night sky outside the window. Her feelings were a mess.
By this year, seven years had passed since her parents' took their own lives.
For these seven years, she had been with her ex-boyfriend, Dennis Turner, who was from a single-parent family.
She gave up her guaranteed graduate admission opportunity in college for him and learned to cook and do laundry, intending to build a new home just for the two of them.
Dennis was from a single-parent family; after his parents divorced, his father took the money and ran. They had not heard from him since.
Perhaps it was shared misfortune and Dennis's cheerful disposition.
In the college campus, he quickly caught Sandra's eye.
Dennis was ambitious, intelligent, and three years older than Sandra.
Over the years, Sandra had been supporting Dennis with the money she earned from her part-time jobs.
Half a year ago, Dennis was promoted and got a raise in his company, taking on a senior executive position.
Sandra was truly happy for Dennis, feeling that her years of effort were worthwhile.
Sandra was now twenty-five years old, feeling they could start planning for marriage with Dennis's successful career.
But Dennis had been evasive, saying he was handling a big project at the moment, and had no time to get married.
Sandra inquired about this with her college roommate, Ruth Robinson, who worked in the same company as Dennis.
Ruth confirmed that Dennis was indeed busy and advised Sandra not to disturb him.
Sandra had no doubt about this until three days ago.
When she wanted to pick out a dress to attend her cousin's wedding, she saw Dennis and Ruth embracing and kissing passionately in the mall.
She confronted Dennis, asking what was going on, and Ruth revealed that they had been in a loving relationship for half a year.
Dennis stood to one side, not saying a word, tacitly confirming it all.
At that moment, Sandra felt her heart being torn apart for the second time since her parents' death.
She remembered that Dennis held her and told her he would be with her forever when her parents passed away.
At the time, she was unspeakably moved, and over the years, she had been silently devoted to Dennis without asking for anything in return.
In the end, it turned out to be all in vain.
It was both sad and ridiculous.
As Sandra's thoughts drifted, the man sleeping beside her shifted his sleeping position and embraced her.
Suddenly, a man's calm, gentle voice came to her ear, "What are you thinking about?"
The man's voice was warm and pure, low, with a hint of hoarseness and allure after their rendezvous.
Sandra immediately flushed, unable to speak right away.
She would never have expected what happened the previous morning. Ruth stood tall in front of her, all pride and no shame, announcing she was pregnant and that Dennis planned to marry her the next year. Ruth had demanded her to leave Dennis alone.
At that moment, Sandra couldn't control herself and called Dennis to confront him.
On the phone, Dennis only quietly said that he indeed needed Ruth's help in his career, and asked Sandra to let him go.
He planned to give Sandra a sum of money. It would be repaying everything she had done for him over the past seven years. He then asked her not to pester him any longer.
At the time, Sandra laughed heartbreakingly, realizing that the seven years of relationship was nothing but a sum of money to Dennis.
She then told Ruth that she would rather marry an honest man than continue to pester Dennis, and asked Dennis not to be so self-obsessed.
Turning around, Sandra grabbed a mechanic from her residential area and got married instantly.
Seeing that Sandra did not respond, the man beside her slowly rose and glanced at her. "Are you regretting this?"
Sandra was startled for a moment. Looking at his exposed chest, she did not know where to look.
Although she had been dating Dennis for seven years, they had never been to bed.
It was actually her first time the previous night.
Sandra shook her head, looking at the man's cheek in front of her. "No, I'm just thinking about something."
D*mn, she hadn't really noticed that this man was so handsome.
Previously, he had been repairing motorbikes and bicycles in Sandra's residential area.
At that time, he had a beard and seemed shabby.
His clothes and skin were full of grime, making him look very unattractive.
Also, every time Sandra passed by, she only saw him engrossed in his repairs, very quiet and wooden.
Especially his large hands.
Previously covered in car oil and grime, they looked filthy.
Looking at them now, they were surprisingly long and beautiful, not like the hands of someone who did manual labor all the time.
"What's the matter?" The man looked down, staring at her slightly red face.
She tasted too good after having her the previous night.
He didn't know if it was because he had abstained for too long or if his self-control had declined, but he couldn't hold back at all.
Especially the previous morning, when she came to him with red eyes, asking if he would marry her, he had surprisingly agreed.
"Your hands are beautiful."
Seeing the man just sitting there, Sandra whispered, "But your beard is a bit prickly... Today was too hurried. Tomorrow, I'll buy you some men's daily necessities. From now on, you won't have to live outside..."
Sandra remembered that this man had started repairing bikes downstairs about two months ago.
The previous old mechanic seemed to be unwell and had taken a leave to rest.
Sandra guessed that he might be the old man's grandson or something.
But it seemed that he had been sleeping in the damp and dark garage under the building every night for the past two months.
Probably, he wasn't much better off than a homeless person.
However, he had perfectly functioning hands and feet, and made a living himself by repairing bikes. He was arguably more determined than a vagrant.
He raised his hand as if touching his slightly long beard, his voice low, "Did it prick you?"
Sandra's face turned red, and she blinked, "It's getting late. Let's go to bed early. We have to go to work tomorrow... Timothy..."
Yes, she saw his name on his ID the previous day. It was Timothy Davies.
Timothy Davies.
A very nice name.
Suddenly, Sandra felt a chill on her chin, sensing the strength of the man's fingers.
His long fingers clasped her chin, gently kissing her, whispering in her ear, "Yes, Sandra."
......
