Chapter 63 Aria

• The next day, despite my aching body, I manage to hide the pain from my children and get them ready for school. My shoulder still burns, a lingering reminder of what happened the night before, but I stand tall, masking my discomfort as best as I can to avoid worrying them.
• At the school gate, I kneel down to give them one last hug, and that’s when Elowen, with her shy little voice, breaks the silence. She looks up at me with a hopeful gleam in her eyes, her tiny finger tracing the outline of the colorful bracelet on her wrist — one of those she gave me as a gift, made of childlike beads with tiny heart designs.
• “Mommy, our gift protected you last night, didn’t it? You made it back home!” Elowen says with an innocence and certainty that makes me hold my breath. Her question feels almost like a protective spell, something so pure it fills my chest with warmth, melting away any lingering pain.