Zane’s POV
The moment Dean and Max returned, the shift in her was unmistakable. She practically glowed, her usual tension melting away like morning mist under a rising sun. The weight crushing her shoulders lifted, replaced by a lightness I hadn’t seen in days. For the first time since I almost lost her, she looked… genuinely happy. I could almost feel the surrounding air lighten.
“Great job, brother,” I told Dean, clapping him on the back. Out of all of us, I knew he’d be the one to pull her out of that suffocating spiral. He’s done it before with each of us, gotten through to us when no one else could.
Dean was right, she was trapped in that damn what-if headspace. What if I failed them again? What if I died? What if I took my daughter with me? The questions had gnawed at her, feed
