Aliyah's POV

I woke up to the sound of birds. For a second, I forgot where I was. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, soft and golden, painting the room in calm I hadn’t felt in a long time. It took a moment to remember that this wasn’t the Rainbow Hotel, this wasn’t home, this was Melbourne. My new beginning.

The baby kicked gently as if to remind me that I wasn’t truly alone. I smiled faintly and rested my hand over my stomach. “Good morning, little one,” I whispered. ...