It felt inevitable.
Just like the pain of being this close to him… and not having him. But for now, that would have to wait.
There was an unspoken agreement between all of us: we weren’t leaving the hospital until the first twenty-four hours were over. The doctor had made it clear how critical that window was, so we stayed—through the fatigue, through bad coffee and worse chairs, through the slow, suspended hours that made time feel unreal.
No one said it out loud, but none of us were willing to be anywhere else.
It was just after five in the afternoon the next day when my mother arrived.
I’d been sitting beside Sebastian and Henry, listening to Henry ramble about contracts, when Sebastian’s expression changed. The strain lifted, replaced by a smile so warm it caught me off guard. One that softened his entire face.
A second later, his arms opened wide as a high-pitched squeal cut through the room.
“Uncle Ash!” Amelia barreled into him, her tiny arms looping around his neck. Sebastian closed his eyes as he hugged her back, holding her like she was something precious.
“My favorite little troublemaker,” he said.
And fuck if that wasn’t the most heartwarming thing I’d ever witnessed. I felt myself soften completely just watching them—Amelia saying something I didn’t catch, Sebastian laughing, his hand ruffling her hair near her ear like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“This one was asking for you,” Charlotte said.
I looked up at her, at the dark circles under her eyes—probably mirroring my own—and the quiet, content smile she wore as she shifted her youngest on her hip. Liam stretched his arms toward me, letting out a soft, excited “eee.”
I held my hands out, and she passed him over without hesitation. I pulled him in close, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Hi, sweetie,” I murmured. “Missed you.”
He settled into my lap easily, like he’d done a hundred times before.
“This makes no sense,” Henry declared with a huff. “I’m the fun uncle, you little traitors.”
Sebastian laughed again, quieter this time, and something in my ribs ached in the best way.
Charlotte’s hand settled on my shoulder. “Heads up,” she said, tipping her chin toward the entrance.
I leaned forward and saw my mother standing beside Vivian and Thomas. “Shit,” I muttered. My chest tightened—for a completely different reason this time.
Thomas noticed me first, offering a polite smile and a nod before drawing my mother’s attention in my direction. Our eyes met, and that familiar knot of guilt and irritation settled in my gut. It tightened further when her gaze flicked to Sebastian sitting beside me, her mouth flattening in unmistakable disapproval.
“Guess there’s no avoiding this,” I said, pushing up from my chair.
There was movement at my side, and I turned to find Sebastian already standing, close enough that his arm brushed mine. He was still murmuring something to Amelia, his hand resting lightly at her back as he carried her. It was like his body had shifted into autopilot, one simple directive running through him—stay close.
I adjusted Liam in my arms, his weight settling easily against me, then stepped forward, the rest of them following a beat behind.
“Hey,” I said when we reached them.
My mother turned toward me, her expression already composed. “Ethan.”
Thomas smiled easily beside her. “Hey. Rough few days.”
“Yeah,” I said. “You could say that.” Liam’s fingers toyed with the collar of my shirt, giving me something else to focus on.
“Ethan’s been a godsend,” Vivian said. “Found somewhere with decent coffee. The one in the hospital is terrible.”
I gave her a grateful smile, which she returned. Vivian had always been kind to me—so had the rest of the Langleys. Thecontrast only made my mother’s reaction even more noticeable, after years of barely seeing her.
“I can make another run if anyone wants.” Henry stepped in beside me, clearly trying to redirect the attention.
Sebastian was still quietly talking to Amelia, a soft laugh passing between them, holding some of the tension at bay.
