Ellie POV
The next few days blurred together. Work at the hospital filled the daylight hours, and the twins filled everything else. Between the late-night feedings and the goddess’s restless whispers, sleep came only in scattered pieces.
By Thursday morning, I’d convinced myself the dreams were starting to fade. That was before the knock at my door.
It was firm but familiar, and my pulse jumped before my brain caught up. Only one person knocked like that, polite enough not to startle, confident enough not to wait long.
When I opened the door, Kieran stood there, smiling the way people do when they’ve rehearsed it in the mirror first.
“Ellie,” he said softly. “You look well.”
It was a lie and we both knew it. I hadn’t looked well in months. But Kieran had a gift for saying things that
