Bella's P.O.V.
We were all settled in.
Mason lay motionless on the bed, still under the hold of magic. His breathing was steady, but his stillness was unsettling. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, willing him to stir, to blink, to show any sign that he was returning to us. But nothing. It was as if time had decided to press pause on him alone.
Downstairs, the comforting aroma of herbs and spices wafted through the air. Aunt Claire and Mason’s mom, Emma, had claimed the kitchen like the queens they were, whipping up lunch with such ease and synergy, you'd think they'd been cooking together for decades.
Noah, the little spark of sunshine that he was, had made fast friends with the triplets. The four of them were in the living room, giggling o
