The rain continued through the night.
By morning, thick gray clouds still hung over Austin.
Emily stood in the nursery, gently rocking the empty chair beside the crib.
The room should have filled her with excitement.
Instead, it reminded her how fragile happiness could be.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Come in.”
Zach stepped inside, two steaming mugs in his hands.
“I thought you might need this.”
Emily accepted one with a grateful smile.
“You’ve been disappearing into this room a lot.”
She looked down at her growing baby bump.
“It’s the only place that still feels… hopeful.”
Zach wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“We’ll get through this.”
She wanted to believe him.
She really did.
⸻
A Visitor at the Gate
At exactly 10:15 a.m., Captain Ryan’s radio crackled.
“Gateho
