The island had settled into a rhythm that felt almost sacred.
Eleven years had passed since that midnight on the cove. Eleven years of learning to breathe inside the life I had chosen. The children had grown like wildflowers in our isolated paradise Elias, now eleven, leading his siblings with the same commanding presence as his father. Seraphina, nine, fierce and unyielding, always challenging the rules we had set. Aurora, seven, gentle and observant, the peacemaker of the group. Theo, four, full of boundless energy and laughter. And our youngest, little Nova, just one year old, with curious eyes that seemed to see everything.
I was pregnant again our sixth child my body heavy and glowing as I walked slowly along the beach at dusk. The sand was warm beneath my bare feet, the ocean wh
