Serena’s POV
That night, after Ari’s bedtime story, I stood beside his small bed and tucked the blanket around his shoulders. The lamp cast a soft glow across his face, warm and innocent.
He looked up with sleepy eyes and smiled. “Goodnight, Mama.”
“Goodnight, love,” I whispered, brushing hair from his forehead.
He held Lio tight—the stuffed wolf that never left his side.
I paused, fingers hovering in the lamp’s light.
“May I ask you something?”
He blinked slowly, curiosity still there. Even when tired, his eyes stayed bright.
“Why did you call Mirah ‘Mommy’ yesterday?”
He shook his head a bit, confused. “Mommy?”
“Yes. Don’t you remember?”
He closed his eyes, thinking. Then opened them. “She said I could call her that too. Because she asked if being nice like a Mommy made her a
