Kennedy POV
Friday.
Finally.
The last day with Banny.
I held the fake baby tightly against my chest as I sat on the school bus, staring out the window while the morning sun bathed everything in gold. The world outside looked soft, warm, hopeful. But inside, I felt a tangled knot of exhaustion, relief, and something unexpected—sadness.
I’d spent the last five days with Banny—feeding him, rocking him, waking up in the middle of the night to soothe his cries. I hadn’t realized how attached I’d gotten until this morning, when I had to pack him up one final time and bring him to school.
Dominic walked me to the front doors like he always did, his fingers brushing mine when no one was looking. “You’ve got this,” he whispered before letting go, his voice calm and sure, like it always was.
