Chapter 37

• The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the safe house’s windows, illuminating the quiet living room. Maya stood at the kitchen counter, her hands wrapped around a warm mug of coffee. The past few days had been unrelenting, but they had finally reached a lull—a momentary reprieve from the storm raging outside their fragile sanctuary.
• From the next room, the sound of laughter broke through her thoughts. She peeked around the corner and saw Rafael seated on the floor with the children. Ivy sat on his lap, holding her beloved stuffed rabbit with a forlorn expression, while Ethan crouched nearby, watching intently.
• “It’s broken,” Ivy said, her voice small as she held up the rabbit, its arm dangling by a thread. “Can you fix it?”