Xochi had gone to bed early that night, tucked in by both of her parents as if she were still a child. Not because they saw her that way—but because they couldn’t bear to waste a moment more apart. With a kiss to her forehead and quiet promises of tomorrow, Eliza and Dakota lingered in the doorway before finally slipping out of her room and into the quiet hallway beyond.
At the dining table, Sam was already seated, fingers curled around a mug that had long since gone cold. “You two can take our room tonight,” she said, her voice low. “We figured you'd want to be close to her. The girls and I are staying in one of the guest apartments.”
“Thank you, Sam,” Dakota replied with a tired smile. The drive had been long, the reunion longer. He sank into the chair across from her, the weight of th
