“Roman?”

The sound of Alexa’s voice cut through the silent morning, though not as sharply as she intended to. She stood at the kitchen doorway, her night gown wrinkled from sleep. Her arms crossed defensively as she watched him mess around with the coffee maker, her voice came out steadier than she felt, which was both a relief and somehow a disappointment.

Roman glanced back and smiled… that easy smile that once made her heart skip, now made her stomach twist.

“Morning ...