|Katherine|
Grandpa’s question caught me off guard, enough to make my breath hitch for a second. But I quickly gathered myself, forcing the stiffness in my chest to melt into a warm smile.
I turned to Javier, closing the small distance between us until I was standing right at his side. Without hesitation, I slipped my hand around his arm, grounding myself in his presence as I turned back toward Grandpa with all the brightness I could muster.
“This is Javier, Grandpa,” I said cheerfully, the words tumbling from my lips as though everything was perfectly normal. “My husband.”
To emphasize the point, I tugged Javier closer, almost like I was presenting him, almost like I was daring Grandpa to disapprove.
But instead of softening, Grandpa’s gaze sharpened. He looked at Javier with a stare
