Elizabeth POV
The scent hit me first. Warm cinnamon, roasted tomatoes, and that buttery softness I hadn’t realized I’d missed.
I stepped into the kitchen and froze.
“Nana?”
She turned from the stove, her apron already dusted with flour, cheeks flushed from the heat.
“Well, look who it is,” she said, her smile wrapping around me like a hug.
I crossed the room without thinking and hugged her tightly.
“I missed you,” I whispered.
She held me just as tightly. “I missed you too, my girl. Every single day.”
When I finally let go, her eyes studied me.
Not just my face, but my mood—like she was reading between the lines of my silence.
“What happened while I was gone?”
I leaned against the counter, my hands gripping the edge like I needed something to anchor me.
“It’s always one step
