Julia POV
My breath caught in my chest as Ethan read the message aloud, his hands trembling and his eyes wide with a hope I hadn’t seen in days. For a moment, everything in the room stood still—the grief, the exhaustion, the ache in my arms for the child I’d barely held. I took in every word: Juliet is safe for now… motel near the highway… be careful—he’s unstable.
A rush of hope, sharp and bright, flooded through me. I clung to Ethan’s hand, tears spilling down my cheeks, not daring to believe but unable to help myself. Lila had the baby. Lila was reaching out. I whispered a thank you into the air, to whoever or whatever had allowed this message to reach us.
But beneath my hope, a strange ache twisted inside me. Juliet. That wasn’t my daughter’s name. I had whispered Nora to my belly f
