Page 311

I shifted our daughter higher against my chest and called toward the hallway. “Caspian?”

Silence.

My stomach tightened.

No.

I’m not doing this.

I refused to let my mind drag me back to that place after everything we had survived. Still, fear didn’t care what I refused.

Kaidence moved toward the staircase. “Daddy?”

“Baby, come sit with me.”

“But—”

“Please.”

Something in my voice must have reached him because he returned without arguing. He sat beside me, and I wrapped one arm around him while keeping his sister secure against the other side of my chest.

Minutes passed… too many.

My eyes began burning.

I knew what Miss Veda had told us. Caspian’s connection to our family was strong, and nothing had indicated he was going anywhere… but she had also refused to promise forever.

I had tried not to think about that part.

I had seen him that morning. I had listened to him fuss at Kaidence, watched him hover over Cassiane, and laughed when he offered advice during a diaper change without having a solid pair of hands to help me. I knew he had gone upstairs with Miss Veda to work on something. None of that stopped the silence from bringing back a fear I thought I had finally learned to live without.

I had gotten used to having him around during the day and being able to reach for him at night. I had gotten used to sleeping beside him and watching him hold our daughter like she was the most precious little person he had ever seen.

I wasn’t ready to lose any of it… not again.

My fingers tightened around Kaidence as tears spilled down my cheeks.

“Baby, please,” I whispered toward the quiet house. “Please don’t do this to me.”

Then I heard his slow, familiar footsteps coming from the upstairs hallway.

Kaidence shot upright. “Is that him?”

I smiled. “I think so.”

Moments later, Caspian appeared at the bottom of the staircase. He had the nerve to walk in with a smile like he hadn’t just shaved ten years off my life.

“I’m back, family.”

Kaidence flew off the couch. “Daddy!”

Caspian crouched just in time to catch him. “What’s up, son?”

Kaidence squeezed his neck before pulling back with a deeply offended expression. “Daddy, you’re late! You said you was coming back downstairs when the sun went down.”

Caspian chuckled. “I know, son.”

Kaidence pointed dramatically toward the window. “Well, it went down!”