The morning sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting golden streaks across the room. The house was still quiet — the kind of peaceful hush that only came after an emotional day. Isabelle sat at the edge of Elliott’s bed, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, his face relaxed in sleep.
On the other side of the bed, Amelia lay curled up against her brother, her small hand resting protectively on his arm. They’d fallen asleep like that — tangled together, as if even in sleep, Amelia was keeping watch. And Isabelle hadn’t had the heart to separate them.
The sight of them — safe, peaceful, together — filled her with a quiet kind of gratitude.
It had been a long day. A terrifying one. But this? This moment of stillness made it all feel a little lighter.
A soft knock on the d
