INICIAR SESIÓNThe next morning began quietly, but not peacefully.There was a difference between the two, and I had learned to recognize it over the years. Peace settled deep and steady, like still water that reflected everything clearly. Quiet, on the other hand, could hide too many things beneath the surface. That morning felt like quiet hiding worry, not quiet bringing rest.I woke before sunrise without needing an alarm. Sleep had been light, broken by the habit that had formed over the past few weeks—listening for movement from the children’s room. Even before opening my eyes fully, I found myself already alert, already listening.No screams.No restless movement.Just silence.That alone made me sit up slowly.For a moment, I remained still on the bed, rubbing a hand across my face, trying to shake off the heaviness that clung to my chest. Yesterday had drained all of us more than we admitted aloud. Kane’s first shift had been frightening enough, but Selena’s fear afterward had carved somethi
That night, after dinner, after the drawing, after Selena’s questions settled quietly into corners of my mind where I could not ignore them, the house finally began to slow down. The children grew drowsy earlier than usual, exhaustion still clinging to their small bodies after everything that had happened in the past two days. Kane yawned repeatedly, trying to hide it behind his palm as if admitting tiredness meant admitting weakness. Selena leaned against me on the couch, her head resting heavily against my shoulder, her fingers still clutching the edge of my shirt like she had done all day.I didn’t rush them to bed.I let them stay there, leaning against me, breathing slowly, allowing their bodies to find calm on their own terms. There was a time when bedtime was routine—brush teeth, change clothes, crawl into bed, lights off. Now bedtime had become something gentler, something slower, something that required reassurance rather than instruction.“You’re sleepy,” I murmured softly,
That evening, after the walk, the house finally felt quieter in a way that didn’t claw at my nerves.Not peaceful. Not fully. But calmer than it had been since Selena’s scream tore through the walls that morning. Small victories mattered now. The way she had smiled at the bird earlier stayed with me longer than it should have. It was such a simple thing, yet it had felt like watching sunlight break through clouds after a storm that refused to move.Kane noticed it too. I saw the way he had watched Selena when she smiled, the tightness in his shoulders easing slightly like he had been holding his breath all day without realizing it.We returned home slowly, not rushing, not pushing them into conversation. Everett unlocked the door ahead of us, stepping aside so the children could walk in first. Selena moved straight toward the couch again, settling into the same spot she had claimed earlier, curling her legs beneath her like she wasn’t ready to
That day passed slower than any day I could remember.Selena refused to leave my side.Not even for a moment.After the morning scare, she clung to me in ways she hadn’t since she was much younger. Even when Camelia tried to distract her with breakfast, or Everett offered to read one of her favorite books, she stayed pressed against me like a shadow afraid of losing its source of light. Kane stayed unusually quiet too, though not withdrawn. He watched her constantly, his small brows tightening every time she shifted too quickly or sighed too loudly.It was strange to see my children like this.One frightened.One protective.Both too young to carry the emotions they were now holding.By mid-morning, the house had settled into a slow rhythm. Everett sat near the window reading quietly, occasionally glancing toward the children without lifting his head fully. Camelia moved around the kitchen preparing food none of us had as
That morning did not settle back into normal the way I had hoped it would.Even after Selena stopped trembling and her breathing steadied, something fragile remained in the air around us. The kind of tension that lingered long after the storm had passed. I stayed kneeling beside the bed longer than necessary, watching her carefully, memorizing the rhythm of her breathing like it was the only thing keeping my own steady.Kane had not moved from her side.His small hand remained wrapped tightly around hers, his fingers curled protectively like he believed letting go would somehow cause her to fall apart again. I watched him carefully, noticing how his shoulders remained stiff despite the calm settling into the room. Yesterday had shaken him physically. Today had shaken him differently.Emotionally.That frightened me more.“Can I stay here today?” Selena whispered suddenly, her voice hoarse from crying.She looked at Sienna
The next morning did not begin gently.It began with a scream.A sharp, panicked cry that tore through the house and pulled me out of sleep before my mind could even understand what was happening. My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I pushed the blanket away and ran toward the hallway barefoot, not caring about the cold floor biting into my skin. For one horrifying second, my mind returned to yesterday—to Kane shaking in my arms, to his terrified voice, to the helplessness that had nearly crushed me.“Mom!”Selena.The sound came from the children’s room.I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe. I just ran.When I pushed the door open, Selena sat upright on the bed, her small hands gripping the blanket tightly, her chest rising and falling in fast, uneven breaths. Kane sat beside her, wide awake, his eyes filled with confusion and fear as he watched her struggle to breathe properly.&ldquo
“Hey!” I tapped his cheeks again. “Alessio.” This time I tapped harder, almost ready to slap him if he didn’t respond. “Alessio! You’re scaring me.” I muttered, leaning over him, trying to shake him awake.
Someone was kissing me. More specifically she was. I smiled without even opening my eyes. Turning onto my side, I faced her keeping my eyes closed and hugged her closer. Her giggles filled my ears and my smile widened even more if possible. “Hey.” She murmured, and I peaked one eye open.“Hey.” I r
I agreed to one day. Just one. It should have felt simple. Instead, it felt like the beginning of an ending. But the joy and relief on Alessio’s face was invaluable. I stood in my bedroom staring at the half-open wardrobe, my fingers hovering over neatly fold
Vineclaw had finally caught up to my neck. Overthinking and Vineclaw.Those were the two things strangling me for the past week. Ever since that dinner in her backyard — the four of us sitting on that mat, Kane la







