Lena POVThree years laterThe house was loud and somewhere upstairs one of the twins was singing badly at the top of her lungs while the other argued with Eli over whose turn it was to feed the fish in the pond outside. Cartoon music drifted faintly from the television in the living room though none of the children actually sat still long enough to watch it properly, and from the kitchen I could hear Caroline laughing while Ruth complained that somebody had once again hidden cookie wrappers behind the couch cushions.I already knew which child did it Sophia always looked guilty five minutes before doing anything wrong. I stood barefoot near the kitchen island with one hand wrapped around a cup of coffee that had gone cold nearly twenty minutes earlier. Morning sunlight poured warmly through the windows overlooking the backyard while the scent of pancakes and syrup lingered through the house.Peace.The word still felt strange sometimes not because life became perfect afterward becaus
Last Updated : 2026-05-31
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