Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 151 - Chapitre 160

Jax stood outside Emma's bedroom door for several long seconds.The quiet crying continued.Very gently, he knocked once."Emma?"The crying stopped.Silence.He waited."I... I'm right here," he said softly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I just wanted you to know you're not alone."Another few seconds passed.Then came a small voice."Come in."Jax turned the doorknob carefully and stepped inside.The room was dim except for the moonlight spilling through the window.Emma sat on the bed with her knees pulled against her chest. Her stuffed rabbit was tucked tightly under one arm. Tears still glistened on her cheeks.Jax stayed near the door."I heard you crying."Emma looked down."I didn't mean to wake anyone.""You didn't do anything wrong."She was quiet."I miss my foster mom."Jax nodded."I thought you might.""I've never slept here before.""I know."Everything in him wanted to rush over and hug her.He didn't.Instead, he pulled the small chair from the corne

The rest of Sunday passed quieter than the days before.Emma stayed close to Jax without really noticing she was doing it.Sometimes she walked beside him through the orchard.Sometimes she sat near him on the porch without saying anything.It was different now.Not because all her fears had disappeared.But because she had finally asked the question she had been holding onto for so long.And someone had answered it.That afternoon, the four of them picked apples together.Jimmy reached up to grab the highest ones while Emma carried the basket below."Careful," Jimmy teased. "You're my quality inspector."Emma looked up."What does that mean?""It means if I pick a bad apple, you're allowed to fire me."She giggled."I don't even know how to fire people.""I can teach you."Jax laughed."Don't encourage her."Emma smiled and dropped another apple into the basket.For the first time that weekend, she wasn't checking everyone's faces before she smiled.The smile just came.Later, they s

The farmhouse felt different the morning after Emma left.Not empty.Just quieter.Jax stood at the kitchen sink with a mug of coffee that had already gone cold in his hands. Outside, the orchard was still wet from the overnight rain. Water dripped steadily from the leaves onto the grass. He watched it for a long time without really seeing it.Lily-Rose came in barefoot, wearing one of his old shirts. She didn’t speak at first. She just moved around him, pouring her own coffee, the soft sound of the pot the only noise in the room.“She texted,” Lily-Rose said after a while. “Got home safe. Said she already misses the swing.”Jax gave a small nod.“Good.”That was all.They had said the important things yesterday. The hugs, the promises of next weekend, the careful goodbyes. There was nothing left to add.Jimmy’s truck rolled up the gravel drive a little before nine. He came through the back door the way he always did — no knock, boots already half-off, a paper bag of fresh rolls in on

Thursday morning started the same as the ones before it.Jax and Jimmy worked the north side of the orchard. The ground had finally dried enough to dig without the shovels sticking. Lily-Rose stayed inside most of the morning, catching up on paperwork she had ignored for weeks.Emma called just after lunch.“I got an A on my drawing,” she said.Jax smiled into the phone.“Proud of you.”“Can I bring it next time?”“Of course. We’ll put it on the fridge.”When the call ended, he stood in the kitchen for a moment longer than necessary, staring at the blank space on the refrigerator door.Lily-Rose noticed from the table.“She’s going to fill that whole thing,” she said.“I hope she does.”The afternoon stayed quiet.Around four, Lily-Rose went upstairs to clear out the hall closet. Boxes of old clothes, winter coats, and forgotten papers had been shoved there during the months when everything else felt more important. She pulled one box down and carried it into the bedroom.Jax found he

Saturday arrived with clear skies.The rain from earlier in the week was gone, leaving the orchard bright and fresh.Jax and Jimmy finished the last stretch of the north fence before lunch.It felt good to finally step back and look at the work."It's done," Jimmy said, brushing the dust from his hands.Jax nodded."About time."Lily-Rose came outside carrying sandwiches and three cold bottles of water."You've both earned a break."Jimmy smiled as he accepted a bottle."You're keeping us alive."She laughed."I'd rather not have either of you collapsing in my orchard."The three of them sat on the porch steps while they ate.The conversation stayed easy.Jimmy joked about the stubborn chickens.Lily-Rose rolled her eyes.Jax laughed louder than he had in weeks.For a little while...Everything felt simple.That afternoon, Emma called."I finished my drawing!" she said excitedly."I can't wait to see it," Jax replied."I'm bringing it next weekend.""We'll hang it on the fridge.""You