MasukNear noon, the doorbell rang, pulling Althea’s attention from the living room. Lydia, who had been arranging a bouquet for the vase, also turned to look. A servant hurried to answer the door, and when it swung open, Riana stood there—elegant as ever in her cream coat, her hair neatly pinned up.“Mom
That morning, Josh’s footsteps echoed down the hall before Althea even finished setting out breakfast. The tall, broad-shouldered teenager paused in the kitchen doorway, still looking a little drowsy—but his eyes were clearly searching for someone.“Mom,” he said, his voice calm and steady, far more
There was a time when Althea could never have imagined Daven being this gentle, this tender. Years ago, he had left her with nothing but painful memories. But now—slowly, steadily—he was wiping them away, one by one, replacing them with warmth and a love so steadily it almost overwhelmed her. She co
“I’ll help you get ready,” Althea said softly, releasing a quiet breath. “Besides… none of you seem eager to tell me anything, right?”“That’s not it, sweetheart.” Daven moved closer, trying to calm her.Althea held his gaze for a long moment before giving him a faint, tired smile. “It’s fine. I und
Althea flushed. Daven never seemed embarrassed to act like this in front of their kids, another thing he’d never quite grown out of. “Um… roast chicken?”“Sounds delicious.” Daven loosened his tie, shrugged off his blazer. “Let me put my things away first.”Before he could take a step, the doorbell
“Mom,” Josh called out as he half-ran down the stairs, a giant sketchbook tucked under one arm and a box of crayons under the other. “What are you making for dinner?”He came up behind her while she was still working on seasoning the chicken, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek as if expecting that a







