The sun was already high when Nadyia pulled into the Bennett driveway.
She sat in the car for a moment longer than necessary, eyes closed, fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. Ethan’s soft coos broke her hesitation, pulling her back to the present.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “We’re doing this.”
The backyard was alive with laughter, folding chairs, and the rhythmic sizzle of meat on the grill. A playlist of old-school R&B played low through a speaker on the deck, mixing with the scent of charcoal, grilled peaches, and summer air.
She didn’t make it ten steps before she was spotted.
“There she is!” Noah called out, grinning wide as he crossed the yard to greet her. Liam wasn’t far behind, reaching to take Ethan’s diaper bag like it was second nature.
“You came,” Li
