't look away

in the child's face-wide brown eyes, a soft curl of

shifted. Something

u're tall," he said, gig

ath-almost a laugh. "No. J

atural thing in the world. Damien's heart pounded in his chest. He

ce was low, urg

over her chest protectively. "He's

ed quietly, his jaw t

this," she

s louder now, a flash of the man he became in her absence. "You disap

You think it was easy for me? I was alone. Scared. Yo

ed to," he snapped. "You don't

oice cracking. "Becau

ain, sensing the

She kissed his forehead, her voice soft again. "I

er neck. "Is that

watching them-watching his entire wor

the door, rain still dripping fr

dn't a

dn't

to the storm with

she didn't tr

r him in a thousand colors