Alena

Relief crashes over me like a wave breaking upon the shore after a relentless storm. My knees tremble, threatening to buckle under the force of my gratitude. I turn to Roak, his face alight with a joy that mirrors my own. In that instant, our eyes lock, and without words, we convey a universe of emotions—love, thankfulness, and the promise of a future unfettered by doubt or denial.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice barely above the sound of my racing heart, yet it ...