The house felt strangely quiet after Ezekiel left, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. Elijah’s arms were still loosely wrapped around me, but the tension in his shoulders hadn’t fully eased. I could feel it, steady and unmoving, like a line pulled too tight.

I stayed there for a moment, my forehead resting on his chest, letting the steady rhythm of his breathing calm the storm inside me. But even as my body relaxed, my mind refused to settle. Thoughts kept circling ...