The cabin settled into a deep, quiet stillness after Daisy went to bed.
The fire crackled softly in the stone hearth, sending slow waves of heat through the living room. Shadows danced along the walls, stretching and shrinking with every flicker of flame.
Michelle sat on one end of the couch, her legs tucked beneath her, a mug of tea cradled between her palms. The steam curled upward, carrying the faint scent of chamomile, but she barely noticed it. Her gaze was fixed on the fire, though she wasn’t really seeing it.
Jeremiah sat a few feet away, not close enough to touch, but close enough to feel her presence. He leaned forward slightly, forearms resting on his thighs, fingers loosely laced together. Every so often, his eyes drifted toward her, then away again, as though looking too lon
