Chapter 20: When the Heart Steps Forward
The morning after their trip to town felt different — not lighter, not heavier, but charged, as if the air itself knew something had shifted. Emery woke before the others, the cabin still wrapped in quiet. She slipped out of bed and padded into the living room, where the fire had burned down to soft embers.
She stood there for a moment, letting the warmth brush her skin.Yesterday had been a step — a big one.Today felt like the moment after a deep breath, right before you decide what to do with the air you’ve taken in.
Behind her, a floorboard creaked. Brent appeared in the doorway, hair tousled, eyes soft with sleep.
“You’re up early,” he murmured.
“So are you.”
He stepped closer, rubbing his hands together for warmth. “Couldn’t sleep. Too muc
