Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc

She was afraid of storms.

Not thunderstorms — those were fine. Metaphorical ones, too, she could handle. She was afraid of literal storms, the kind with serious winds, the kind that made the windows shudder and the lights flicker. It was leftover from childhood, specific and irrational, and she’d carried it for thirty-five years.

Tobias had found out the first October they were together.

He’d come home to find her with every light on, sitting very specifically in the hallway — the innermost room — with a blanket and a book she wasn’t reading.

He hadn’t laughed. He hadn’t teased her. He’d asked if she wanted company. She’d said yes. He’d gone and got his own book.

They’d sat in the hallway for two hours while the storm rattled through.

Since then, whenever a serious weather warning came through, he checked the forecast. Sometimes she arrived home to find the hallway ready — not dramatically, just a lamp on and a blanket within reach, an unspoken acknowledgment that it was okay to need what she needed.

Freya was thinking about this during a storm now, three years later. The lights had flickered and she’d come to the hallway automatically, blanket and all, and sat down.

A minute later he appeared, book in hand, and sat beside her against the wall.

“How long?” she said.

He’d already looked it up. “Hour, maybe.”

She leaned into his shoulder.

Fear, held by the right person, is survivable. Not gone — never entirely gone — but smaller. Halved by sharing.

“You don’t have to sit with me,” she said.

“I know,” he said.

✦  Today’s Reflection

What is something you’re privately afraid of that your partner helps you carry — and have you thanked them for it?

---

Love my writing? You can grab my books directly from my website or through my Amazon author page. When you purchase from my website, a larger portion of the sale goes directly to supporting my writing, allowing me to create more stories, mental health resources, and magical guides without relying on algorithms or advertising. You’ll also find exclusive bonuses, free reader gifts, and occasional special offers that aren’t always available elsewhere. If Amazon is your preferred bookstore, that’s perfectly fine too. Either way, thank you for supporting an independent author who spends an unreasonable amount of time talking to fictional people and turning it into books.

The Daily Dose of Romance has moved into its new home! Every day, a fresh FREE romance story will be waiting for you.