*Cait*
Three days after the battle
I hear the faint laughter of bairns from outside the Lennox family home. Rory reaches the door first and knocks. My heart pounds as we wait. How do you tell someone their world has ended?
Maisy opens the door with baby Leana on her hip and flour on her apron. Her eyes brighten when she sees us, then narrow in confusion.
“Cait. Rory.” She shifts the baby to her other hip. “Is Ewan with you?”
The question cleaves straight through me. I glance at Rory, who swallows hard, his jaw tight. I take a deep breath, step forward, and rub her arm.
“Maisy… may we come in?”
Her eyes search our faces. She knows. Not everything, not yet—but enough. Still, she nods and steps back to let us pass.
The house is cramped, warm with the smell of fresh bread. Gavin and
