Amelia POV

The moment the plane wheels kissed the Los Angeles runway, my stomach tightened—not from the landing, but from everything this city stirred in me. Luke’s small hand clutched mine as he pressed his face to the window.

“Mommy,” he whispered, eyes wide, “is this our new home?”

“No, sweetheart,” I murmured, brushing a curl from his forehead. “We’re just here for a little while.”

He frowned in that thoughtful, too-mature way only Luke had. “But why did we come? ...