AVA'S POV
it was strange, how quickly a sense of normalcy could return, even when your life had been turned upside down more times than you could count.
The next morning, I woke up feeling... steady. Not euphoric. Not anxious. Just present.
And that alone felt like a victory.
I stretched, still nestled against Ethan, his hand resting protectively over my stomach. I smiled to myself. The child growing inside me had become more than a hope now, it was a quiet certainty, a gentle rhythm I carried with me everywhere.
The day was already humming to life outside. Birds chirped beyond the open balcony, and the scent of lavender from our garden wafted through the thin curtains. I slipped out of bed without waking Ethan and tiptoed to the kitchen.
Rosalind was already there, humming a tune from my childhood and slicing fruit like she always did.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she said without turning around. "You're up early."
