Chapter 19

Samantha’s POV

I immediately connected my charger as I settled on a chair in my hotel room after I was transferred here. Annie’s name glowed on the screen, followed by a string of messages that I was not able to access earlier since my phone immediately died.

The first one brought a smile to my lips: “The twins wanted to stay up late, but don’t worry, I tucked them in on time. Devon tried to convince me otherwise, though!”

Scrolling through the others, I could almost hear Annie’s cheerful voice narrating their antics: ‘Diana refusing to eat her carrots, Devon pretending to be a superhero, both of them begging for bedtime stories about wolves.’

But it was her last message that made my heart clench: “They’ve been asking for you all day, Samantha. Devon said he missed your hugs, and Diana said she did not like how long you are gone.”

I stared at the words, blinking hard. For a moment, the chaotic events from the day melted away, leaving only the ache in my chest, to see my twins again. T