Tiana’s return home came three long weeks after the hospital finally agreed she was stable enough to leave.
The house had been unusually quiet since her absence, wrapped in a kind of fragile peace that Clara prayed would last.
But the moment the front door opened and Tiana stepped inside, that peace shattered like glass hitting the floor.
Melissa was the first to react.
She squealed in excitement and ran straight into her mother’s arms. “Mummy! You’re back! I missed you so much!”
Her voice carried all the innocence of a child who had no understanding of the darkness surrounding her mother.
Tiana hugged her tightly, stroking her hair weakly. “I missed you too, sweetheart. So much.”
Melissa pulled back slightly, her eyes full. “Mummy… when will Daniel come back? I miss him. The hou
