Emma’s POV
The morning sunlight filtered through the blinds of my new apartment, a modest two-bedroom in a quieter part of the city. It wasn’t what I envisioned when Jeff and I planned our life together, but it was mine now, and it was safe.
Yet even surrounded by the soft hum of normalcy, my chest still ached with lingering fear. The memory of Jason’s frightened eyes, his trembling voice as he recounted his ordeal on the beach, refused to fade.
The kids were adjusting, though not without resistance. Jason and Anna missed the sprawling space of Jeff’s house, the backyard where they played tag, and their his laughter echoing through the hallways.
For them, this move was confusing and unfair, but I couldn’t explain the real reason we’d left.
How could I tell them that staying with Jeff
