The air between Damion and me was suffocating, thick with unspoken words and the weight of a past that neither of us seemed to escape. My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I tried to steady my breath. The urge to run from him, to erase his presence from my life once again, consumed me.

I turned on my heel, determined to walk away, but just as I took a step, a small voice echoed through the grand room.

“Mommy!”

My heart dropped into my stomach as I froze. Turning slowly, I watched ...