By the time Amelia stepped into the house, the familiarity of it settled around her like something warm and steady.
Nothing had changed.
Not the arrangement of the furniture, not the faint scent of home that lingered in the air, not even the quiet comfort that came with simply being there.
And yet.
Everything felt different.
Because she was.
Her siblings moved ahead of her almost immediately, their voices filling the space as they dropped their bags and made themselves comfortable again like they had never left.
Her mother followed more slowly, already calling out to the staff, making sure everything was in order.
Her father, however.
Stayed back.
Watching her.
“Amelia,” he said.
His tone wasn’t loud.
But it carried weight.
She turned to him instantly.
There was no hesitatio
