LOGINMom 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
Emily's POVThe knock at the door came late, just past midnight. The city had settled into a hushed lull, the distant hum of traffic barely audible through the thick walls of Damian’s apartment. I had been curled up on the couch with a book, Damian beside me, his arm draped lazily over my shoulders,
Maya's POVI had gone into the house to fix my makeup, to change into my final outfit, to make sure everything was perfect, but all I could hear was the murmur of voices around the house. Their conversations floated up through the walls, drifting into my space, unsolicited, unwanted. Talking about t
Emily's POVCharlotte tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Who’s to say they don’t have an ulterior motive?”Maya’s face stiffened.Lyla’s fingers twitched slightly against the tablecloth.And Charles, despite his carefully maintained composure, looked rattled.It was Louis who spoke first.“That’s
Louis's POVMaya let out a sharp, humorless laugh, eyes widening as she stared at my mother in utter disbelief. “Thanking you?” she spat. “For what? For making me live in this?” She gestured wildly around the room, her hands trembling. “For making my house smell like rotting plants? For forcing me t







