Sunlight spilled across my office, but I barely noticed. I was too caught up, scrolling through the latest pictures of Ariana that Mercy had sent. One by one, they filled my screen, each image a punch to the gut in a way I couldn’t explain. She looked… peaceful. Not just the usual grace she always carried, but genuinely at ease, even happy. There was one shot of her sitting on a porch step, one hand resting over her stomach, a soft smile on her face that I recognized from better times.
Claire was in a few of them too, hanging onto Ariana’s arm, grinning wide, eyes bright. That kid had always been resilient, no matter what was going on between us, but I could see how much she’d grown already since she left with Ariana. They both looked… settled there, as if Maplewood could ever replace wha
