LOGINWe pulled up to Bogart’s and the place looked deceptively normal - a quaint little coffee shop with a blue awning and flower boxes in the windows. It felt weird to picture it potentially bathed in blood by the end of today.
Talon helped me off his bike, pulling me in close and planting a kiss on my forehead. We still had almost an hour to kill before the time I was supposed to meet Craig.
The bell above the door chimed cheerfully as we walked into the shop. The smell of fresh coffee and pastries filled the air, a stark contrast to the dark tension humming through my body. The few patrons inside glanced up briefly, checking us out curiously before returning to their laptops and conversations.
Jake approached the counter, exchanging a meaningful look with the barista - a tall, tattooed man who I assumed was in on the plan. He nodded almost imperceptibly before turning
LauraThe weeks passed by in a daze. Doctor Harris confirmed my pregnancy, and the morning sickness wasn’t nearly as bad this time around.Still, the exhaustion was relentless, weighing me down like a lead blanket by mid-afternoon.Talon hovered constantly, his green eyes tracking my every move with a mix of awe and concern. He’d press a hand to my belly when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, his calloused fingers gentle against my skin, as if he could already feel the life growing there.Scarlett, meanwhile, was ecstatic about becoming a big sister. She’d kiss my stomach every morning and whisper secrets to “Baby,” her tiny voice earnest with promises to share her toys — though I noticed she never mentioned her beloved stuffed dragon.Some sacrifices were too great, apparently. 
TalonThe words hit me like a freight train, knocking the air out of my lungs. I froze, my mind scrambling to process what she’d just said.Pregnant. Laura. Pregnant. My chest tightened, a mix of emotions surging through me so fast I couldn’t catch my breath. Shock. Joy. Fear. All of it tangled together until I felt like I was drowning in it.“What?” I managed to rasp.Laura lifted her head from my shoulder, her blue eyes searching mine. “I think I’m pregnant,” she repeated, her voice soft but steady. “I’ve been feeling off lately… tired, nauseous. I haven’t taken a test yet, but…”I stared at her, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t speak. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all colliding with each other. Another baby. Ano
I woke up early the next morning to sunlight filtering through the blinds, and found Talon already in the kitchen, sipping coffee and scrolling through something on his phone.Scarlett was still asleep, the house was still, and it hit me then — we needed a distraction, something to pull us all out of the funk that had settled over the house. Something fun, something normal.“Hey,” I said, leaning against the doorway, my voice light. “How about we take Scarlett to the zoo today?”Talon looked up, his brow furrowing slightly. “The zoo?”“Yeah,” I said, crossing the room to pour myself a cup of coffee. “She’s been talking about elephants almost as often as dragons lately. I think it’d be good for all of us to get out of the house for a bit. Fresh air, animals, maybe some ice
LauraThe next week passed uneventfully. It seemed like Talon was still feeling weighed down by something, but I knew better than to press him. He carried it quietly, the tension in his shoulders more pronounced on some days than others.He’d linger in the garage longer than usual, tinkering with our bikes or the lawn mower. Sometimes, I’d catch him staring out the kitchen window, his green eyes distant, as if he were watching something far beyond the tree line.Talon wasn’t the type to talk about his burdens unless he was ready, and I knew pushing him would only make him retreat further. So, I let him be, offering small comforts where I could — a hand on his back as I passed him in the hall, a cup of coffee left on the counter when he wandered in from the garage.Scarlett, blissfully unaware of her father’s turmo
TalonI was thoroughly exhausted, the weight of the past few days clinging to me like a second skin.I stripped off my cut and tossed it onto the chair by the bed, followed by my shirt and jeans. I could feel the grime of the journey seeping into my bones. I needed to wash it all away, scrub myself clean of the blood and the guilt and the goddamn weight of it all.The water hissed as I turned the shower on. I stepped under the hot stream, letting it scald my skin until it turned pink.Soapy water ran over my shoulders, washing away the sweat and grime, but it couldn’t touch the weight in my chest. I leaned my forehead against the tile, closing my eyes for a second.“Laura,” I called out, my voice echoing off the bathroom walls.“Yeah?” she answered from the
I tried to get some rest but only managed to toss and turn for a few hours. Around 3 AM, I decided that was probably the best I’d get, and I checked out of the motel and hit the road.The hum of my bike beneath me was the only sound breaking the silence. Every few miles I passed a semi-truck or two, but otherwise it was just me and the empty pavement.My thoughts were a tangled mess, half-formed questions and doubts swirling in my mind like smoke. I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts, but they were stubborn and persistent.I glanced at the clock on the bike’s dashboard. 4:45 AM. The hours were dragging, each mile feeling longer than the last. My body was on autopilot, muscles tensed and alert, but my mind was restless.The sky started to lighten, the first hints of dawn breaking on the horizon. The hazy glow cast long shad







