*Levi*
The journey back to Natalie's parents' house is a blur, my thoughts a tangled mess, trying to process what we've been through. Josh is silent in my arms, his presence a reassuring weight against the turmoil inside me. The little guy's had a long day, and it's not over yet.
The house looms before us, a beacon of hope with its warm, welcoming lights cutting through the twilight. As I push the door open, the atmosphere hits me like a wall, something is off. Natalie's parents are there, standing like sentinels of worry, their faces etched with the strain of the hours that must have stretched like days.
"He's safe," I tell them, my voice a solid thing in a reality that has felt anything but. "Josh is okay."
Natalie's mother lets out a choked sob, her hands flying to her mouth as she
