The weeks after Daniel’s visit to Elise passed quietly.
But this time—
There was a deeper sense of closure.
Daniel no longer carried the same tension he once had.
The past was no longer chasing him.
It stayed where it belonged.
Behind them.
Life continued.
Steady.
Grounded.
Focused on what truly mattered.
By the time Marian reached her sixth month of pregnancy, her belly had grown noticeably.
Rounder.
Fuller.
A visible reminder of the life they were waiting for.
Isabella loved it.
Every day, she would come close, gently placing her small hands on Marian’s stomach.
“Baby, I’m your big sister,” she would whisper. “You have to listen to me, okay?”
Marian would laugh softly every time.
Marian could still vividly remember the first time Isabella felt the baby kick.
It had be
