a's

es is that they don't f

tter how much time or distance you

er Leo had fallen asleep. I watched his little chest rise and fall, his fingers cu

ded to rememb

I

, Five

ineyard. Bees hummed lazily in the lavender. Lucien-Luke, as I'd known him then-was barefoo

him and thinking, Go

nd grinned. "Y

my tea. "Can

it was the most natural thing in the world. "I was thinking," he

have jobs,

er heard you talk about your jo

legal. Or... was.

t to com

what it felt like to breathe." I lo

in his eyes. Somet

asked. "What do yo

tated t

've seen

t quite reach his eyes. "Nothing exciti

guy slumming it in

"Something

th secrets, like the rest of us. But that evening, as I folded one

to look. I s

ht my eye: The Wa

Lucien Wolfe still mi

left m

en W

e phone like

d at grocery store checkout counters. Billionaire heir. Ruthless

issing. He'd bee

en known who I

before

assport, a dress, and a heart

hree lines, scr

u

giving me a mo

look f

I

en I w

Pres

y faded. The apartment was still and dark except for the hum

did the right thing. That walki

t

my life, and he wasn't just

Leo's

he k

Leo's lunch. Dressed him for daycare. Smiled when I kissed his fore

ocus. Every email blurred. E

my phone buzz

mber: We'r

reen. I didn't hav

asn't go

d and ripped open a truth

to see Leo-it was how easily he'd gotten under my s

membered what it felt l

d by

a fantasy. A

ng to let my son get pulled into the storm t

essage glowing on my screen,

n't ju

going t

tion wasn't

ad any fight left