Chapter 123

• Charlotte leaned against the kitchen counter, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee mug. The morning light streamed through the window, illuminating her face and casting gentle shadows across the room. She had called Damien over that morning, the pair having agreed to discuss Leo and their evolving family dynamics. As she gazed out the window, her mind raced with the possibilities and risks entwined in their lives.
• Damien entered the room, his tall frame filling the doorway. He looked a bit disheveled, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants that suggested he had barely managed to get out of bed. “Morning,” he said, a soft smile crossing his lips, as if he was momentarily captivated by the sight of her.
• “Hey,” Charlotte replied, her heart fluttering. There were times when seeing Damien made her feel as if their lives had been intertwined for much longer than the few years that had actually passed. “I wanted to talk to you about Leo.”