Ruth woke up wrapped up in his arms and it took a moment for her mind to remember she was with him and they had shared a night of lovemaking after months of her being there. While she had absolutely no regret in letting it happen, hell, even initiating the kiss that facilitated things, she was very giddy and overwhelmed.

She carefully extracted herself from the bed and pulled on most of her clothes before quietly taking her leave. She was very careful in leaving the room so others would not be alerted to her wanderings. She then went to her room and sat a time before penning a note for him and leaving it for him on her chest of drawers. It was discreet enough that nothing incriminating, only a note that anyone could read that explained she was taking the day to herself before she would retrieve her son sometime in the later morning.

She pulled on the easiest clothes she could get into and left while it was still in the dark of the early morning hours. The autumn air was crisp like the frosty grass that crunched underfoot whilst she followed a familiar path in the garden, the very furthest corner where she lay in the leaves on her cloak, staring up at the sky until the frost was melted and the sun was high. She did nothing but lie there breathing, there was no weeping, just feeling overwhelmed.