Evelyn walked slowly along the path with Lucien beside her while the sunlight threaded soft shadows across the garden. She kept her posture steady, but her steps were quieter, as if the presence of the children and the blooms softened the steel she carried in her spine.
Lucien watched her too closely for her liking, though not in a prying way, but in a way that noticed things she didn’t always want noticed.
“It’s peaceful when you’re here,” he suddenly said, somehow still sounding thoughtful.
She gave a small, amused snort. “I don’t think anyone has ever used that word for me.”
“I mean it,” he insisted, still smiling. “The children calm down around you. You care about them… more than you admit.”
Evelyn’s hands slowed over a small patch of white blooms. “They just...need love,” she sai
