Mom, you're cheating again!"
Logan's laughter echoed through the small garden as he tried to wrestle the wooden spoon out of Lily's hand. She smirked like a queen playing her favorite game, her hands sticky with dough and mischief.
"I don't cheat," she teased, twisting the spoon just out of reach. "I innovate."
"You're innovating my defeat!" Logan laughed, dodging a flick of flour as he lunged again.
The smell of cinnamon bread filled the air.
It was sweet, warm, like a memory.
An old oak tree watched silently from the corner, branches swaying gently like it too was smiling.
The breeze danced between them, lifting the edges of their aprons, rustling the flowers along the garden's edge.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Logan was just… a boy. He wasn't a mage, wasn't burdened by vengeance. He was just her son.
He leaned into her shoulder, closing his eyes. Her warmth was different. It wasn't magic or mana, it was just her.
