Three days into the lockdown, the walls of Melinda's townhouse had begun to feel less like shelter and more like a cage, Liam's restless energy bouncing off every surface, Stanley's constant presence a comfort that had started, inevitably, to carry its own particular strain."I feel like a prisoner in my own house," Melinda admitted quietly, late one evening after Liam had finally exhausted himself into sleep, security personnel stationed at discreet intervals around the perimeter, the curtains drawn against windows that had once let in ordinary evening light without fear attached to it."I know," Stanley said, settling beside her on the couch, exhaustion evident in every line of his posture. "I wish I had something better to offer you than patience and waiting.""You don't have to offer anything," Melinda said, leaning into him despite the fatigue weighing on both of them. "You're already here. That's more than I had for six years."They sat together in comfortable silence for a whil
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