-Vaughn Blackmore:
For a few long seconds, nobody in the room moved.
Nobody spoke either.
The silence had become something alive now—thick and emotional and almost painful to stand inside of.
My mom was still staring at Ezra as the rest of the world had disappeared around her.
Or Alaric.
God.
Even thinking the name now felt unreal.
I could see the way her breathing kept shaking unevenly, like her body still hadn't caught up to what her heart already knew.
Then suddenly, Elias moved first.
Without saying anything, he quietly stood up from the couch and walked toward the kitchen.
The movement itself somehow broke some of the tension in the room, just slightly, enough for everyone to breathe again.
A few seconds later, he returned holding a glass of water carefully in his hands before gently offering it to my mom.
"Here," he said softly. "Take a second."
Mom blinked like she had forgotten other people were even around her.
Then she nodded quickly.
