Maya wasn't coming until six. At five-fifteen the apartment was wrapped in the kind of quiet that only existed before life changed forever. The overnight bags rested beside the front door, packed and repacked so many times that Kieran could no longer remember what was actually inside them. Tiny blankets, newborn clothes, paperwork, snacks, chargers everything should have been there. Should. He stood in the bathroom holding Dr. Chen's checklist for the fourth time, staring at the words without really reading them. His mind usually worked with comforting precision. Today it felt wonderfully, hopelessly unreliable. Had he packed the second folder? The spare swaddles? He couldn't remember. A soft whistle from the kettle drifted in from the kitchen. Giving up with a quiet laugh, Kieran folded the list and slipped it into his pocket. "If I've forgotten something," he murmured to himself, "we'll survive." Today wasn't about being perfectly prepared. Today was about meet
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