The night was calm, the silence broken only by the soft hum of the fan overhead and the occasional rustling of sheets as Harper and Harry rolled about playfully on the bed. Evelyn lay in the middle, one arm cradling Harry, her other hand resting lightly on Harper’s back. Their small bodies clung to her with innocent affection, heads tucked close, legs tangled around her waist as if anchoring her to the moment. But Evelyn’s mind had drifted far from the safety of the room.
She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts racing. Though the warmth of her children should have brought comfort, all she could feel was a cold weight pressing on her chest.
The pictures had spread faster than she could have imagined—images of her and her children beside Auden Bernard at the launching event, circulating on
