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