“And it always will,” Alice said gently. “In life, there are storms that pass. But they’re not always bad.” She paused, letting her gaze drift—briefly, deliberately—between Damien and Maya.
“Sometimes, they come to clear the path.”
The words were offered lightly, almost conversational, yet their meaning settled heavily between the two of them—quiet advice wrapped in grace.
Then Alice shook her head, amusement returning to her eyes. “My daughter is a lot of things… but harebrained, she is not. She can be reckless… even recalcitrant at times. She has a very strong personality, but also a soft, pure, loving heart.”
A soft chuckle escaped her, memories flickering across her face.
“Her father and I learned that the hard way. The tighter we held the leash… the stronger she pulled away.” She
