Melinda’s POV
Lena brought cupcakes.
Store-bought, slightly smushed, and covered in hot pink sprinkles. She apologized for the frosting, said her baking skills hadn’t improved since the sixth grade.
Elena devoured two before dinner.
Elijah asked her to draw a dinosaur with him.
James shook her hand when she walked in, no hesitation, no guarded expression. Just kindness. The kind of kindness you show someone who’s been through the same fire — even if you never saw it burn.
Dinner was loud.
And warm.
And for the first time in a very long time, I saw something in the twins I hadn’t seen before.
Curiosity.
Not the kind born from absence — the kind born from belonging.
After dinner, Lena helped me dry dishes while James read a bedtime story down the hall.
She glanced at the living r
