Mag-log inMom claps. “See? Good sense.”Dad groans, drops into a chair, and rubs his forehead. “Fine. Sparklers. But I get to choose the color.”“Deal,” I say, leaning over to kiss his temple. He pretends not to smile but I see it anyway.I never thought I would have this again—a father who tries, really trie
Maya’s POVFrance changed me. I did not expect it to. I thought all I wanted was revenge, a reckoning, a balancing of the scales that would make everything feel right again. But standing at the kitchen window of our townhouse with the late-morning sun warming the old stone, watching Oscar toddle aft
After a few minutes, Emma sits beside me, nudging my shoulder. “How are you really,” she asks, her voice softening.I smile. “Good. Really good. For the first time, everything feels... quiet.”“You deserve quiet.”I nod, my eyes warming. “He is different now. Softer. Present. You should see him read
Emily’s POVSix Months LaterI wake before the alarm, before the morning light even filters through the curtains, to a soft flutter beneath my ribs. A tiny kick, gentle but unmistakably there. I smile into the pillow, pressing my palm over the swell of my stomach. The baby is awake, stretching, gree
Damian’s POVI do not think I exhaled until the plane door shut behind us.No reporters.No blinking notifications.No family emergencies.No corporate disasters waiting like open jaws behind every email.Just Emily beside me, fingers loosely threaded with mine, her head resting on my shoulder as if
Emily’s POVThe morning light over the farm looks unreal, soft as milk, drifting across the grass in wide strokes that make everything glow. It is the kind of light you only see on days you remember forever. A gentle breeze carries the smell of lilac and fresh earth, the decorations swaying slightly
I grinned, relieved. “That would be perfect. She’s been dying to help with the wedding, and she could use a break from studying. Business management isn’t as glamorous as she thought.”My mom laughed, shaking her head. “She’s a smart one, though. Always has been. Between her and Damian, you’ll have
“Welcome to the first annual culinary showcase!” teenage Emily declared proudly before accidentally dropping a bowl of batter onto the floor.John nearly choked laughing. “She was so serious about it!”“I was serious!” Emily said, laughing and blushing furiously. “I was learning!”“You were adorable
Emily’s POVThe road unspooled before us like a silver ribbon, the afternoon sun dipping low and softening the edges of the world. Madelin sat beside me, her pale green dress wrinkled from sitting, her hands fidgeting with the hem as we passed the long stretch of countryside that separated the city
Jonathan’s POVThe cool country air always felt different at night—cleaner, fuller somehow, as if it carried the weight of the stars themselves. I’d forgotten how peaceful this place could be, how the silence after sunset seemed to hum with life. When Emily and Madelin pulled up earlier, I’d been fi







