Austin
I step through the front door, Cortland's steadying hand at the small of my back. An unfamiliar wail pierces the silence, jolting me back to reality. Carli squirms in the bundle of blankets cradled against my chest, her tiny face scrunched and crimson.
"We're home," I breathe, the words barely audible over Carli's soft coos. My gaze meets Cortland's, finding in his storm-gray eyes a reflection of my own tumultuous emotions - a maelstrom of fear, joy, and awe. "It's like we've stepped into another world."
Cortland's hand finds the small of my back, his touch a warm anchor in this sea of uncertainty. "We've weathered worse storms, darlin'," he murmurs, his drawl deepening with emotion. "We'll navigate this one too, moment by moment."
Moment by moment. The words echo through my min
