Lila woke already crying.
The tears came without warning, sliding down her temples and into her hair before she even understood why her chest felt so tight. Alden slept against her, warm and solid and breathing, and yet something inside her was breaking anyway.
She pressed her lips together, swallowing the sound, not wanting to wake him.
It didn’t help.
The ache wasn’t fear this time.
It was grief.
Not for something lost—but for something slipping away while she still had her hands on it.
Caleb hadn’t come back to bed the night before.
She told herself she knew why.
She told herself she understood.
She told herself she was strong enough now.
Her body disagreed.
Too soon pregnant.
Still healing.
Still bleeding some days.
Still waking from dreams where she was drowning while e
