Mara
Six Months Later
Lucian and I had overslept. The sun was already high, streaking soft light across the curtains, and we rushed through our morning routine to prepare for breakfast. Parenthood had changed our lives in ways we had never imagined. Kaela and Ronan were peaceful babies, easy to soothe, but no matter how many nannies we employed, Lucian and I still rose in the middle of the night to check on them. Just to be sure. Just to hold them close and whisper our love. They were more than children, they were blessings, proof that light could grow even after the darkest storms.
Richard, too, was thriving. Doctor Vladmir had assured us that he was now strong and healthy, that he could live as he wished without the shadow of frailty hanging over him. That news alone had brought relie
