NADIA’S POV
Everything inside me locks the second I hear it.
For a second, I just stare at Noah, my mind going blank, like if I don’t react fast enough, it won’t be real. My chest tightens painfully, breath catching halfway, and all I can think is no… not this… not now.
“No,” I say too quickly, my voice sharper than I mean it to be. “No, don’t say that.”
His little face shifts immediately, confusion replacing whatever ease he had before. “Mommy…?”
Damn it.
Guilt hits just as fast as the panic. I soften, brushing my hand over his sleeve. “Hey… it’s okay. I didn’t mean it like that. Just—don’t say that word, okay?”
He doesn’t understand. Of course he doesn’t. He’s just a kid. He said what felt natural.
That’s what scares me, and I don’t even need to turn to know Colin is right behind
