It was time for her to leave.
Eira looked up at her Mama, her eyes brimming with emotion, yet she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.
Shaking her head, she said softly, "Eira must go with you. If it's Uncle Ford … Eira has to leave with him."
There was nothing wrong with her words. They were perfectly reasonable —expected, even.
And yet, they made Adelyn's heart feel inexplicably heavy, as though a quiet weight had settled deep within her chest.
"You don't have to —"
She was about to say something, but the words faded before they could even form.
Something important still hadn't changed between them.
The little one was still a stranger —just one who felt far more familiar than before. It would be better if she let it remain like that itself.
"Let's go and see who is at the door," Adelyn said with a faint smile before leading the way.
Adelyn was taken aback when she opened the door and saw the person standing outside.
