He nods, but I see the shadow return to his eyes. I should’ve known it wouldn’t last long, this peace. I guess I just kinda fooled myself into thinking maybe it would.
“One perfect day is more than most people get.”
I want to argue, to insist we deserve more. But I hold my tongue. For now, this day is enough. This stolen slice of normality amid chaos.
We eat dinner on the deck as twilight descends. Sofiya dozes in her portable bassinet. Vince touches me throughout the meal—my hand, my knee, the nape of my neck—as if reassuring himself I’m still here. That we all are.
When he kisses me as the first stars appear, I taste something different on his lips. Not possession or punishment or power.
We put Sofiya to bed in the master suite, her bassinet stationed within arm’s reach beside the k
