MELANIE:Cherry’s laughter rings through the living room, high and bright. Killian sits cross-legged on the carpet beside her, carefully fitting puzzle pieces together like he is trying to solve something bigger than the picture on the box.I pour milk into their glasses, watching the pale swirl as if it can drown out the quiet pulse behind my eyes.Liam left somewhere else after dinner and I was glad he did because his sudden change in actions is unsettling.“Mommy,” Cherry calls, “I finished it!”She beams up at me, cheeks flushed, messy hair everywhere. I smile back, kneeling beside her.“That’s beautiful, baby.”She nods proudly and reaches for my hand, her tiny fingers warm against mine.Darkness engulfs me. It’s sudden, like a door slamming open in my mind.For a heartbeat, I’m not in the living room anymore. I see sunlight filtering through trees, hear laughter, my own but not like now. It’s much softer.Then a face.Blue eyes. That same quiet intensity that always makes my che
Last Updated : 2025-10-26 Read more