Blake's POV
Federal prison was exactly as unpleasant as expected—concrete walls, scheduled routines, the constant awareness of freedom lost. But the worst part wasn't the confinement or the loss of luxury. It was receiving Aloe's letter about Evelyn's birth two weeks after it happened, knowing I'd missed the moment when everything in her world had changed.
*"Evelyn just woke up demanding food, so I need to go. But Blake—thank you. For the plea deal, for the testimony, for the bracelet, for all the complicated ways you helped us get here. We're okay. Both of us. Finally. - Aloe"*
We're okay. Finally.
Those three words meant more than any declaration of forgiveness or love could have. After everything—the manipulation, the custody battles, the imprisonment and escapes—Aloe and her daught
