Shayla opened her apartment door to the sound of laughter.She stood in the entryway for a moment, just listening. The sound was bright and genuine, filled with the kind of joy that made everything else fade into background noise.Following the sound to the kitchen, she found Ayven standing on a step stool at the stove, carefully stirring something in a large pan while Ruby stood beside him, supervising."No, no, you have to keep stirring or it'll stick to the bottom." Ruby was saying, her hand hovering near Ayven's in case he needed help. "There you go. Perfect.""I'm doing it, Ruby! Look!" Ayven's face was flushed with concentration and pride."I see you, big man. You're doing great."Shayla felt her chest tighten with love and something else. Guilt, maybe. For snapping at Ruby this morning. For being so caught up in her own drama that she'd taken it out on the people who mattered most."Something smells amazing." She announced her presence, setting her bag on the counter.Both Ayve
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