Days slowly turned into weeks.
And for the first time in a long while…
Life became quiet.
Uneventful.
Peaceful.
⸻
Mornings in their home settled into a routine.
Daniel would wake up early, make coffee, and make breakfast—though Marian usually took over before he could. Isabella would wake up a little later, her small footsteps padding down the hallway before she climbed onto one of the kitchen chairs.
“Mama Marian, can I help?” she would ask almost every morning.
And every morning, Marian would smile.
“Of course, my love.”
At first, Isabella still asked for confirmation.
Still waited.
Still watched their faces carefully.
But as days passed, that hesitation began to fade.
Little by little.
⸻
There were park days.
Isabella running ahead of them, her laughter louder now.
“D
