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
Madelin’s POVI sat on the edge of my bed staring at the pale green dress hanging from the wardrobe door, the one I’d bought just days ago. It should have filled me with excitement. It was the dress I would wear to my son’s wedding, to the start of his new life, the life he’d always deserved. But al
Emily’s POVI stood in my parents’ cozy kitchen, the one place in the world that always smelled like home—fresh herbs, soap, and the faint sweetness of whatever my mother had baked that morning. The afternoon light streamed through the window over the sink, touching everything in gold. My mother, Si
Damian’s POVI parked in the dim light of the garage beneath the company building, the concrete echoing with every step I took. The air smelled faintly of oil and rain, the kind of cold metallic scent that seeps into your skin and lingers. Soma was already there, leaning against her car, arms crosse
Charles’ POVIt was well past eleven when I finally pulled into the long drive of the Augustus mansion, the headlights sweeping across the old stone facade before flicking off. The night air was cool and heavy, smelling faintly of the river and fallen leaves. I loosened my tie and exhaled, the weigh







