Anne's hands froze mid-motion, her gaze momentarily distant as a flicker of memory crept into her mind. Her smile faded slightly.
She had done this before, back when she was with Denis.
Back then, whenever Denis returned home exhausted, he would demand a massage, and she had complied without a word. She remembered how he used to praise her, saying her hands worked like magic on his weary body. But those moments were now a distant memory.
Anne blinked, brushing the thought away before it could poison the present. She couldn't tell Augustine about that part of her past. She didn't want anything, especially not a ghost like Denis, to taint what she had now.
Summoning a smile, she returned to her rhythm, her fingers pressing into Augustine's muscles again with renewed focus. "I watched a few tutorials online. And I've practiced a lot on myself, mostly. But I guess I've always liked making people feel better."
