CHAPTER SIXTY ONE
After eating, I find myself standing at the doorway of Zaiden’s room, taking it all in with new eyes. The space feels bare but full of possibility.
This is where he’ll grow. Where he’ll laugh, cry, learn to walk. The thought tightens something in my chest.
Nina joins me, rolling up her sleeves without being asked. Together, we begin. She arranges the tiny clothes in neat piles while I wipe down the crib, unfolding blankets, placing soft toys where they belong. The room slowly starts to feel alive.
Quiet settles between us—the comfortable kind.
As I fold another onesie, a thought I’ve carried since the palace slips out before I can stop it. “Nina,” I say softly, “I’ve always wondered… back then, when we left the palace, you said you didn’t have any family.”
Her hand
