Chocolate Smudges and Dinosaur Songs

I closed the door softly, dropped my bag onto the credenza near the stairs, and kicked off my heels one at a time, mumbling to myself about how human feet were never designed for pretty shoes.

The living room lights were dimmed, the curtains half-drawn.

And there he was. Ash.

Fast asleep on the wide sofa, one tiny hand gripping his stuffed bunny, his legs curled under a light blue blanket I didn’t even remember owning. His dark curls covered half his forehead, and his cheeks were a soft shade of pink.

The world could be on fire and that child would still be out cold, as if nothing around him could ever matter enough to disturb his sleep.

I smiled. Instinctively. And just before I could take a step toward him, a sound from the kitchen made me turn.

Erick appeared from behind the kitchen island, still wearing the mustard-colored apron he hated, his hair slightly messy and his face... defeated.

"He was a whirlwind this afternoon," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Jumped from ro