Downstairs, Briony and Cedric rke settled into their seats, each lost in their own thoughts.
James quietly prepared the tea, the gentle clinking of china filling the silence.
"We''re all friends here, so I''ll get straight to the point. You don''t mind, Dr. rke?" Cedric managed a weary smile. "Honestly, I''m more anxious than anyone right now. I was hoping you both might have some advice for me."
Briony didn''t hesitate. "Star seems to be struggling with a bit of postpartum depression."
Cedric''s expression froze, as if the words had caught him off guard.
"Sure, memory loss and hormonal changes y a part," Briony continued, "but I think the way you both have been interacting with her might have something to do with it too."
Cedric was a doctor-he knew all too well that postpartum depression was a challenge many new mothers faced. But he''d never considered that Ste might be one of them. He''d done his research, after all. From the day she got pregnant to the moment she gave birth, he''d tried to do everything right, to be as prepared as any husband could be.
Now, though, he feltpletely lost.
"Star never wanted to get married in the first ce," Briony said gently, "let alone have a child. Dr. rke, right now, she feels trapped."
A pang of sadness crossed Cedric''s face, and his voice wavered. "So, she''s depressed because she thinks I—and the baby—have tied her down, is that it?"
Briony didn''t deny it, though she worried the thought would only hit Cedric harder. She could see Ste cared for him, truly. But right now, Ste needed patience and understanding more than anything else.
"Dr. rke, I know it''s not fair for Star to feel this way, but the truth is, she''s just regained her memories. It''s like the old Ste is wrestling with the new one. She needs time to process everything, and she needs to know she''s not alone."
Briony fixed Cedric with a serious look. "This is going to be a rough stretch for you, I won''t lie. But I hope you''ll be patient with Star. She does care about you, I can see that. It''s just people''s beliefs don''t change overnight."
Cedric nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. "Thank you for being honest with me. I''ll try to talk things through with Star."
Standing, he nced toward the stairs. "I''ll go check on her now."
Briony nodded in encouragement.
When Cedric had gone upstairs, James leaned in, keeping his voice low. "Do you think Star will go back with him?”
"She will," Briony said, sounding certain.
James frowned. "How can you be so sure?"
"It''s a mother''s instinct to care about her child, Briony replied quietly,
"Star''s fighting with herself, not nex
Aster. She''d never take it
Suth
him."
James rolled his eyes. "I don''t know. Not every mother is loving, you know. Look
at Rosita and Lauren Lynn-those women treat their kids like essories."
Briony shot him a look, her brows knitting in gentle reproach. "You can''tpare Star to them."
James held his hands up. "All right, all right. Just making a point."
Before he could say more, footsteps sounded from the stairs.
Cedric and Ste appeared. Ste looked utterly reluctant, but she managed to address Briony. "Bryn, I''m heading home for now.
~ 1orrow, I want to bring my son
over to stay with you."
Briony nced at Cedric, who looked helpless.
She moved to Ste''s side and squeezed her hand. "Of course I''d love to have Aster here, but I hope you''e because you want to, not just out of spite. All right?"
Ste gave a half-hearted wave. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I''m going now."
Cedric nodded to Briony and James. "We''ll be off."
Briony smiled. "Take care."
James called after them, "Drive safe!"
...
Twenty minutester, the front door to the townhouse swung open.
Ste hadn''t even taken off her shoes before her son''s desperate, piercing cries echoed through the house.
Upstairs, the nanny was pacing anxiously, trying everything to calm little Aster, but nothing seemed to work.