The morning was different.
Maya felt it the second she opened her eyes. Something in the air had shifted—lighter, easier, like the world had exhaled after holding its breath for too long. She lay still, listening. The birds were louder. The light was brighter. Even the dust motes dancing in the sunbeams seemed to move with more purpose. She could hear the faint hum of a truck on the highway, the distant bark of a dog, the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. Everything felt alive in a way it hadn't in weeks. She didn't know what had changed. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
Knox was already awake, propped on one elbow, watching her. His eyes were soft, his mouth curved in a half-smile. The morning light caught the edges of his face, softening the hard lines she'd come to love. "You're do
