Masuk~Amelia~I was in the kitchen minding my own business, tea, crackers, the baby doing her usual morning gymnastics against my ribs when his mother walked in.My first thought was: so this is how it ends.My second thought was: I should have eaten more of those crackers while I had the chance.
~Amelia~I sat in the circle too. That part mattered.It was quiet for the first minute in the way that things are quiet when everyone is waiting for someone else to start. I let it sit for a second and then I just said: "I know some of you have questions you haven't been able to ask. I figured this was easier than everyone wondering separately."
~Amelia~Serena showed up at the door with a gift bag and the energy of someone who had been dying to talk for three weeks and was finally being allowed to."Okay first of all," She stepped inside without being invited, shoved the bag at my chest, and pulled me into a hug before I could say anything. "You look amazing. You're huge and glowing and I hate you a little bit.""Hi to you too."
~Amelia~And at the edge of the treeline, watching it all unfold like she was supervising, a woman I didn't recognize. Short hair, lifeless eyes that made her scarier than the fighters.And behind her, Blake.He stood with his hands in his pockets. Watching.
~Amelia~I smelled coffee before I even made it downstairs, which was the first good thing about the morning.The second thing was considerably more distracting.Kaden was standing at the counter when I walked in, shirtless, sweatpants sitting low, hair still a mess from sleep, holding a mug like he hadn't just committed a crime against my ability to think clearly. I stopped in the doorway for exactly one second too long.He didn't even turn around. "You're staring like you haven’t seen me before.""No, I’m not." I crossed to the table and sat down. He turned around then, and the look on his face said he'd already figured out exactly what the situation was. He set a mug in front of me, leaned down until his face was level with mine, and said very quietly: "Your heart rate went up the second you walked in."I picked up the mug and looked somewhere else. "That's because I walked down stairs. Cardio.""Sure it is." He pulled out the chair across from me, sat down, and flipped open the n
~Amelia~Caleb called a meeting.He put a single sheet of paper on the table. Three bullet points. I'd learned that if Caleb needed a full page to explain something, the thing was very bad. One page meant it was just bad."Blake has found a partner," he stated.
AMELIA’S P.O.VMarjorie was silent on the other end of the call for a minute and I started to fear the worst. For a second, I thought she had hung up but I could hear her steady breathing and I knew she had just chosen not to respond.“Just tell me if I’m right or wrong,” I said when she wouldn’t resp
AMELIA’S P.O.VI woke up to some whimpering from Kaden. My eyes were still blurred with sleep but I could feel him tossing and turning in bed. I had never known him to have nightmares before and I couldn’t help but wonder if whatever thing he was keeping secret was part of the reason for the sudden n
AMELIA’S P.O.VI ended up in front of the hospital. I took a detour home first and I made him lunch. I wasn’t sure if he had eaten but if I had to guess, I would have said no. Kaden tended to have a one track mind in the sense that once something became the object of his focus, it would take a lot to
AMELIA’S P.O.VI planned to stay indoors for the rest of the day when I heard a knock. I went to check only to see Clara standing there with a small picnic basket in her hands and a smile on her face. When I looked down and saw her barefooted, I shook my head at her. I leaned against the doorframe wi







