Two tears escaped anyway — hot and unexpected.
They slid down my cheeks before I could intercept them.
I swiped them away roughly.
Another followed.
“Damn it...”
I pressed both palms against my face.
Forcefully.
Like I could physically push emotion back inside.
I had prepared for this.
For seeing him.
For seeing the physical manifestation of everything I had lost.
But preparation meant nothing when reality hit.
A small touch brushed against my hand.
I froze.
Muscle memory activated instantly.
My body reacted before my brain could process.
I jerked back slightly.
Yannis flinched too.
His eyes widened.
He had been curled under the duvet on the bed — hidden partially from view.
I had assumed he was asleep.
Instead, he had been watching.
He now stood upright.
Dark hair messy from sleep.
Wearing an oversized T-shirt that had once belonged to Ruslan.
Tall for his age.
Shoulders already beginning to broaden.
His face had started losing the softness of childhood.
But his eyes —
Slate gray.
