The evening sun spilled soft amber light across the little living room when Chloe pushed the front door open. She tossed her handbag onto the couch with a dramatic sigh, the day's stress clinging to her like a second skin.
"Bella?" she called, kicking off her heels. "Where's my favorite godson? How's he?"
"In here," Bella's voice floated from the kitchen. A moment later, she appeared, drying her hands with a towel. The tired curve of her smile betrayed her exhaustion, but relief shimmered in her eyes. "He's fine. Really. Just a scrape and a bruise. Nothing more."
Before Chloe could respond, small footsteps thundered down the hall. Timothy came barreling toward her, grinning wide. "Auntie Chloe!"
Chloe bent down and scooped him up, twirling him lightly before setting him against her hip. "There's my champion!" she exclaimed, peppering his face with kisses. "You scared us all today, big boy. How dare you fall, hmm? Do you know how precious you are?"
