The morning sun crept through the curtains, spilling warm gold across the living room. The house was quiet—too quiet, in fact. Lucian stirred beside me, one arm still draped protectively over my waist, and I watched the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. The calm before the storm, I thought, because in our house, calm never lasted long.
From downstairs came the faintest echo of giggles and tiny footsteps—my heart immediately leapt. The girls were awake. I could almost hear Aria’s voice bouncing off the walls: “Mommy, come see!”
I rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb Lucian, and padded down the stairs. Sure enough, the living room was already alive with energy. Aria, Arianna, and Arian had turned the floor into an obstacle course of stuffed animals, books, and stray socks. Cassian
