him in the hallway. Standing at the door, he felt a confusing mix of anger and longing. He wasn't prepared to be h

space where he always expected her to be. He hated the idea of going inside, knowing she wouldn't be there. Part of h

n though he knew better. The darkness wrapped around him as he stepped in, and sudde

you to be back right now. Do you w

can go back to b

e saw traces of Zelda everywhere, in the way the bed was made, the belongings left behind, and the faintest hint of her scent in

edside table, where somethi

uld have expected, Zelda wasn't co

er took off, along with both her engagement and wedding ring, lay delicately in a small

em tightly as if somehow they held a memory, a warmth, any last trace of her. These things were precious to Zelda;

ssing upon him. The silence in the room deepened, swallowing him whole as h

e rang, jolting him back to the present. He blinked, disoriented,

end, "I'm calling with an update on your brother Za

the words pulling him from the fog of his own pain an

ere shortly," his voice steady but hollow. Placing the j

th, bracing for the routine reassurance that his brother had only caught a cold. But the words that met him were

rboured toward Zelda seemed trivial. He remembered their recent argument, the misunderstandings, and how quick he had been to judge her. With a pang of guilt, he realized how un

ulled out his phone, and scrolled to Zelda'

It's not a home without

ss y

returned to his empty ho

the soft buzz of her phone. Half awake, she glanced at the message and f

e years, and he was barely ever there. And now he

the nightstand, letting exhau

inking about James. After her morning sessions at work,

met her mother-in-law, who was comi

could finish her sentence, her

Let's go to the coffee s

er mother-in-law. So, she followed her. When they got to the coffee shop, they took a tab

Xander

at you heard me and what I said about Xander's conditio

ell you, Zander..." But before Zelda could finish wha

nant really quick so

w was going to apologize for tricking her into trying to get pregnant. B

r-in-l

w it's time for you to repay us back. What is it? How much do you need? I know James doesn't want a child right now, but

20 million. When the baby is tested and it happens to be a match to Zander, I'll give you 200 million. If the baby i

speaking about her future grandson or granddaughter as if she were