DEREK POV

After Nora finally drifted off to sleep, I stayed beside her for a while, watching the calm rise and fall of her chest. She looked peaceful now, but I knew the pain she carried inside wasn’t something that would vanish in a night. I brushed a strand of hair off her face and sighed quietly.

Before leaving, I walked over to the small shelf near the bed and picked up a small lavender diffuser. I hadn’t used it in months. Back then, when insomnia used to keep me awake for nights ...