21
~Velma’s POV
I breathed in slowly.
Then out again.
My chest still felt tight, but my hands were steady this time. I picked up my phone and dialed Elena’s number before I could change my mind.
She picked up almost immediately.
“Elena,” I said quietly. “I want to meet Mrs. Helena.”
There was a pause, then relief rushed through her voice. “Right away. I will come to you now.”
I ended the call and leaned back against the bed. My heart was beating fast, but not wildly. This was not fear. It was resolve. I had made a choice, and I would stand in it.
I returned to the room properly then. Jaden was already asleep, sprawled across the bed, his small hand curled into the sheet. The sight of him softened something deep in me. I sat beside him and gently stroked his hair, slow and careful,
