Ella stepped into her home, her heart still heavy with the confrontation at the pier. Tears threatened to spill, but she quickly blinked them away. She had to be strong for her boys. As she approached the door, she heard their laughter echoing through the house, and a smile tugged at her lips.
Pushing the door open, she was met with a whirlwind of energy as Leo and Liam raced toward her, their faces beaming with excitement. “Mommy! Mommy!” they shouted in unison, their voices pure joy.
“Hey, my little adventurers!” Ella replied, kneeling to wrap them in a warm embrace. “What have you been up to today?”
“We had so much fun with Uncle Derek!” Leo exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. “He took us to the park and we saw a giant slide!”
“And we fed the ducks!” Liam added, bouncing on his toes. “It
