Damien's POV
The pavement pounded under my sneakers as I pushed through the last mile of my morning run. Sweat stung my eyes, but I welcomed the burn. It was better than another night staring at the ceiling, replaying the latest nanny interview in my head.
The woman had seemed competent on paper, but when she met Lucas and Loki, she spoke to them like they were problems to manage rather than kids who still asked for their mom at bedtime.
Another rejection. Another day of juggling work calls, school drop-offs, and the heavy silence that filled the house after the boys finally crashed.
Two years since Sarah died, and I still felt like I was drowning in slow motion. Mid-thirties, two boys who deserved more than my exhausted version of fatherhood, and a heart that had locked away every sof
