Chapter 17

• The weekend sun poured through the kitchen window, illuminating the cheerful beams of yellow and green. Charlotte stood at the counter, humming lightly to herself as she prepared breakfast for her son, Leo. The enticing aroma of pancakes sizzling in the skillet filled the air, mixing with the scent of freshly-steeped coffee. Today was a day for simplicity, a day to savor the heartwarming moments of motherhood without the weight of her past.
• “Mom, can I have extra syrup?” Leo’s voice rang out from the small dining table, where he sat with his art supplies scattered around him. His wide, innocent eyes sparkled with excitement as he focused on adding the finishing touches to a coloring book filled with wild animals.
• “Only if you promise to share some with me!” Charlotte playfully called back, pouring a generous drizzle of syrup onto the golden-brown pancakes. “Deal?”