*Maria's POV*
Several months had passed since Lucius came to the settlement, and somehow, he had become part of our lives.
At first, I had expected him to grow tired of our quiet routine. But Lucius never complained.
He was especially good with Derek.
“Not that one, little man,” Lucius would tell him, moving it out of reach. “You’ll have the whole roof falling on us.”
Derek would giggle as if he understood every word.
Seeing them together should have made me happy. Lucius was kind to him. He never grew impatient when Derek interrupted his work, and he always found a way to make him laugh. Still, I kept a careful distance between us. I was grateful for Lucius, but gratitude was not the same as love.
He seemed determined not to understand that difference.
Whenever he found me alone,
