Bianca's words still hung in the air, suspended like a challenge no one had asked for. "I need more grandkids."
For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath. No one knew quite how to navigate past that declaration, how to gracefully sidestep what had just been laid so plainly on the table.
Then Sebastian stepped in, as he always did. He released a quiet breath, the kind that carried years of practiced patience, then reached for Bianca's hand. His touch was gentle but deliberate as he pulled her back just a step, creating distance where none had existed moments before.
"Alright," he said. His voice remained calm, steady, the sort that never needed volume to command a room's attention. "That's enough, honey."
Bianca glanced up at him, her expression clearly unconvinced, her lips pursed in that particular way that suggested she had more to say and wasn't quite ready to stop saying it.
