The morning after Derek's visit, Maya woke up feeling lighter than she had in years.
She lay in bed for a while, watching the sunlight filter through the curtains, listening to Knox's steady breathing beside her. The weight that had been pressing down on her chest for so long was gone. The fear that had been a constant companion had finally loosened its grip. She felt like she could breathe for the first time in forever. The shadows that had haunted her dreams had faded, replaced by something new—something that felt a lot like peace. She'd spent so many mornings waking up with a knot of anxiety in her stomach, bracing herself for the next disaster, waiting for the world to fall apart again. But not today. Today, there was nothing but quiet. A stillness that felt almost foreign, almost too
