MasukMom 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
Louis’ POVI leaned back in my office chair, the weight of the day pressing down on me like iron. The room was silent, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, yet my mind was anything but. Papers lay scattered across my desk, reports begging for attention, but I couldn’t focus. Not with
Emily’s POVDuring the day, I helped run my family’s restaurant, finding a rare sense of happiness while at night I was part-timing at the bar Emma worked. She pitched the job to me, and I aced the interview thanks to my stint in a bar after high school. In just a week, she became the closest thing
Emily‘s POVI stepped into the sterile, fluorescent-lit hallway of the hospital, the smell of antiseptic stinging my nose. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of nerves and guilt gnawing at my insides. Damian walked beside me, his steady presence both comforting and overwhelming."Are you sure you'r
“Emily, this looks amazing,” I said, genuinely impressed.“It’s nothing special. Just a few recipes I’ve been experimenting with.” She blushed faintly, brushing off the compliment. “When I was married to Louis, he was always stressed from work and a bit picky about what he ate. I’d try different rec







