stood

ot shouting.

and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. Maya wai

he d

was someh

it to happen this w

ned fixed on the fl

ice catching. "He tu

brain to do the math. Like the confirmation of

arted, then paused. "

ch twisted.

ce cracked, and he looked at her, truly looked at

ere alive, if you were ever coming back. I was twenty-three, pregnant, griev

ne. "And instead of giving me a ch

flin

sn't

ither

't know what kind of father you'd be. Or if you even w

ard the studio door. His hands c

ight to decid

he whispere

ped at

ix what's already broken. But I wa

lled in

sh in weird colors and pretend they talk. He hums when he draws.

ed, swallowing the a

ally. "Not with you. Not

, her heart aching

en she

d softly. "One

ned th

and said, "Thank you... for him. Even if I didn

he wa

in years, the silence d

a door star