Laney leans into my shoulder, her warmth grounding me.
“I was so scared,” she whispers.
“So was I,” I admit.
She lifts her head and looks at me, her eyes shining in the soft cabin light.
“They took you because of us.”
“Yes,” I say quietly.
“And I’d let them do it again.”
Her breath catches.
“Don’t say that.”
“I’m not saying I want to,” I reply gently.
“I’m saying you’re worth it.”
Her fingers tighten slightly on my arm.
The baby yawns softly between us, her tiny body relaxing against my chest.
I look at Laney.
Really look at her.
The strength in her.
The fear she faced without running.
The way she holds our daughter like she’d fight the entire world if she had to.
“I don’t know when it happened,” I say slowly.
“But somewhere between the first time she wrapped her hand around my finger…”
I glance down at the baby.
“…and the first time you looked at me like I wasn’t just a shield standing between you and danger…”
My voice trails off.
The word feels too big to say.
Laney’s gaze softens.
She finishes it for me.
“You became home.”
I nod.
“Yes.”
The truth settles quietly between us.
