The room was too quiet. Aspen had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, her monkey and elephant clutched tightly in her little arms. I watched her for a long moment, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her forehead. Her tiny mouth hung open just a little, breath even and soft. The kind of peace that only children seemed capable of after a long, magical day.
Today had been… perfect. And that terrified me more than anything else.
I stood and padded softly to the other side of our room. The moonlight filtered in through the tall windows, casting a soft glow over the walls. I looked outside and took a breath, one that was meant to ground me. My body ached with a comfortable tiredness, the kind that came from laughter and walking too long and smiling too wide.
But my he
