Ava stood in front of the bathroom mirror at 5:47 AM, trying to cover the dark circles under her eyes with concealer. She'd been awake since 4:30, when Ethan had woken up crying from a nightmare—or maybe just teething, it was hard to tell at this stage.Behind her, she could hear the shower running in the master bathroom. Roman had been in there for twenty minutes already. Some mornings, the shower was the only place he felt safe enough to break down where she couldn't hear him.She finished her makeup, threw on a blazer over her blouse, and headed to Ethan's room. He was awake in his crib, playing with his stuffed elephant."Good morning, sweet boy," she said, lifting him up. "Let's get you ready for Grandma and Grandpa."Her parents had been taking Ethan three days a week since Roman's panic attack at the office two weeks ago. Ava was grateful for the help, but she hated needing it. Hated feeling like she couldn't manage her own life.She got Ethan dressed, fed him breakfast, and ha
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