The hallway stretched before her like a held breath, empty but somehow not vacant. Rory's fingers traced absently over her stomach as she stared into the darkness, that flutter of movement inside her a reminder that she wasn't truly alone. The house creaked softly, settling back into itself like an old cat finding a comfortable position, but that earlier presence—that weight in the air—had vanished like morning mist.
She should have gone back to bed. Should have chalked it up to pregnancy hormones or leftover adrenaline from the storm. But something tugged at her, an invisible thread pulling her forward into the hallway. The worn hardwood was cool beneath her feet as she moved, one hand trailing along the wall like a lifeline.
The pre-dawn light filtered weakly through the windows, casti
