ste

sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains. Today, the guest room felt less like a temporary assignment and more like a space that might eventually hold a pa

warm embrace. I joined Ethan and Oliver, feeling the pull of a domestic scene I'd never expected to belong to. Oliver, still in his dinosaur pajamas, scrib

softly, surprised by the t

ed, his tone measured but carry

ste, do you like drawing?" His innocent inquiry disarmed me, and I found m

crayon drawings of fantastical creatures, bold shapes, and-most str

he dinosaurs?" I asked

his family. That's what Dad says," Oliver

choly. In that moment, the notion of protection-the need to be needed-stirred something unexpected in my heart. Co

an

ersation. The softness in Celeste's eyes when she spoke about art, the way Oliver's laughter filled the room-it was all so genuine. Yet I was determined to remind myself tha

h both triumph and heartbreak. Each image whispered stories of promises broken and dreams deferred. I realiz

ether on a plush sofa in a silence that was both comfortable and charged with unspoken thoughts. I couldn't help but notice the faint lines around Cel

normal," I finally said, breaking the

ed, "Normal can be deceptive. Sometime

it's a sign that things are changing-inevitably,

(Internal

, our quiet shared moments-reminded me that this contract was becoming more than just a legal formality. It was a collision of lives, raw and unpredictable. A

(Internal

dowpane filled the silence. Every rational thought screamed that she was just a professional, that the rules were clear. And yet, a long-buried vulnerabi

sudden, joyful laugh from down the hall-Oliver's exuberant delight-broke the tension, and I faltered.

at the threshold of Celeste's door, the decision hanging i

remained elusive, waiting in the shado