The morning buzzed with energy. The dining table had disappeared beneath a colorful sea of decorations, fabric swatches, and color samples. There were castle-themed centerpieces on one end and dinosaur figurines scattered across the other, and somehow the clash of pink glitter and green plastic teeth perfectly captured the twins’ personalities.
Isabelle sat at the head of the table, sifting through cake designs while Amelia carefully colored a princess crown with intense focus, her tongue peeking out in concentration. Across from her, Elliott constructed what looked like a dinosaur army, lining up his miniature T-Rexes and raptors with military precision.
It should have been peaceful. A sweet, productive morning.
But peace had been hard to come by lately.
The knock at the door shattere
