The morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, painting golden stripes across the kitchen floor. I sat at the table, sipping my coffee, a small smile tugging at my lips. For the first time in weeks, maybe months, the house felt calm, not just physically, but emotionally.
Liam was upstairs, still tucked in his bed, dreaming of dragons, castles, and adventures that were bigger than our living room. Dean was quietly flipping through papers in the office, his presence a constant comfort, even when he wasn’t speaking.
And I felt… ready.
Not ready in the nervous, trembling way I had felt the first day I stepped into the Knight mansion. Not ready in the survival-focused way that had defined my life for so long. Ready in a way that meant I was finally standing on my own two feet.
I had offi
