All Chapters of Reclaiming the Love We Lost: Chapter 11

The cottage lights were dimmed, the only glow coming from the small lamp in the living room. Mia had crashed on the pull-out sofa an hour ago, exhausted from the long train ride and the emotional rollercoaster of the day. Her soft snores filled the quiet space, a comforting reminder that Lydia wasn’t alone anymore. Lydia stood on the creaky porch, wrapped in an old cardigan, staring at the dark silhouette of the Hudson River. The night air was cool, carrying the scent of pine and distant rain. She gently rubbed her belly, whispering the same promise she’d been repeating since the fire: “We’re going to be okay, little one.” Footsteps on the gravel made her turn. Noah walked up the path, hands in his pockets, flannel shirt slightly rumpled from a long day supervising the bakery crew. His hazel eyes caught the porch light, soft and familiar—the same eyes that had once helped her bandage a scraped knee after they fell from the same tree. “Hey,” he said quietly, stopping at the bottom