The courthouse steps seemed heavier beneath Alliah’s feet as she walked away from the building, the echoes of the annulment hearing still vibrating somewhere deep within her chest. Papers had been signed, words had been spoken, and yet, the silence that followed felt more thunderous than any gavel strike. Thor had sat across from her, his eyes unreadable, his presence still capable of stirring old wounds. But the law had been clear that day. What had once been bound together in vows was now unraveling through ink and signatures.
Beside her, Jamiro walked quietly, his steady presence like a hand on her back even when he didn’t reach for her. Joshua held her other hand, his small fingers squeezing as though he knew — without explanation — that his mother’s heart was tired.
The drive home w
