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    Sienna’s POV


    “Are you sure you’re going back there?”


    Liliana’s voice was soft but clear amid the passing cars and the night wind that was starting to bite. We stood on


    the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, the neon light above casting our reflections onto the rain-damp


    pavement.


    I looked at the ck car. Inside, I could make out Liam’s silhouette in the driver’s seat, Emily beside him, and


    Noah in the back, his face turned toward me as if afraid I might disappear at any moment. A weight settled in


    my chest that I couldn’t exin, but I took a deep breath and answered quietly, “I just want to make sure Noah


    sleeps well tonight. That’s all.”


    Liliana looked at me for a long moment, as if searching for cracks in the decision I had just voiced.


    “After that, I’ll go back to the apartment. To your ce,” I added, trying to reassure her, even though my heart


    was racing out of rhythm.


    She finally nodded. “Alright. I’ll wait there. But if you change your mind, or if anything happens, call me,


    okay?”


    I nodded, then gave her a brief hug. “Thank you… always.”


    Our


    eyes shifted to the car. The cabin lights were on, and Liam was now looking our way, waiting. Emily had her


    head down, either scrolling through her phone or just avoiding the moment. But Noah stood on the back seat,


    leaning forward, his small hands pressed against the window as he waved faintly at me.


    I walked toward the car slowly, each step feeling heavier-as if my own body was betraying the decision I had


    made. The rain earlier had left a scent of wet earth lingering in the air, mixing with the tension that floated


    between us. My hand hesitated briefly on the door handle, but the look in Noah’s eyes from behind the ss


    dissolved all doubt.


    Once I stepped inside, I was immediately met by his small arms wrapping tightly around me without a word. Noah simply rested his head on my chest, his breathing steady, though a soft tremble betrayed his calm. I held him closer, letting the scent of his children’s soap seep deep into me, pulling out memories I had locked away.


    1


    Liam slowly drove off, taking us farther from the neon lights of the restaurant, which faded behind us in the


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    rearview mirror. No one spoke during the ride. Emily just stared out the window-no interruption, no questions. And I was grateful for that. Silence was easier to bear than hollow sympathy.


    The streets were quiet that night, city lights reflecting off Liam’s face, which I nced at through the rearview mirror. His face was still the same-firm, calm-but with faint new lines that hadn’t been there before. Lines carved by sleepless nights, unanswered questions, and silent grief.


    Every moment in that car felt like a step deeper into a narrow space without air. That car had once felt like home -a ce where I hadughed with Noah, leaned against Liam’s shoulder during the rain, or just listened to


    ssical music with my eyes closed on the way home. But now, it felt foreign. A world that no longer weed <ol><li></li></ol>


    I opened the back door and sat beside Noah. The once-familiar scent of car perfume now stung, cold and


    distant. Noah immediately reached for my arm and rested his head on my shoulder. 1


    “I miss Mommy,” he whispered.


    I gave a small smile, stroking his hair. “Mommy misses you too, sweetheart.”


    Liam nced at us through the rearview mirror, then started the engine. No one said a word. The car moved


    slowly, gliding through a city nearly asleep. The silence inside was soplete that I could hear the faint ticking of the digital clock on the dashboard.


    Emily remained quiet, still watching the raindrops race down the window. I didn’t know what she was feeling—


    anger, difort, maybe both. But tonight, I couldn’t bring myself to care. My entire focus was on Noah.


    Liam drove carefully, navigating the wet roads under a gentle drizzle. Streetlights shimmered on the asphalt,


    casting shifting reflections as the car moved forward. In the backseat, I kept holding Noah close, listening to his breath as it slowed. His body, once tense, now rxed in my arms, as if he knew he was back where he belonged


    -in his mother’s embrace.


    There was no sound except the soft hum of the air conditioner and the tires brushing against the damp road. I could hear the clock’s faint ticking again, as if time itself had slowed for this moment. Liam sat upright in front, asionally ncing at the rearview mirror, then returning his eyes to the road-his expression unreadable.


    Emily remained still. For the first time, I didn’t try to read her thoughts. Didn’t try to exin mine. This space felt too small. As if the whole world had shrunk to just this car-and within it, only me and Noah mattered.


    “I miss Mommy,” Noah whispered again, his voice barely audible.


    I looked down and stroked his hair gently. “Mommy misses you too, sweetheart,” I whispered back.


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    He rested his head back against my chest, his arms wrapped around my waist as if afraid I might vanish again. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to contain the wave of emotion rising inside me. There was guilt. Regret. Wounds not yet healed. But there was also relief. Because tonight, even just for a while, I could give him something he’d been longing for-something he desperately needed.


    Liam said nothing. But I knew he heard me. I saw the way he drew a quiet breath, then gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. I knew he was tired. And I knew my presence tonight was like a sudden storm disrupting


    the calm sea he had finally reached. But I had no choice. It was Noah who chose me. And just for this one night, I


    wanted to be the ce he returned to.


    The car kept moving, passing blinking red lights. The city was so quiet, it seemed to sink into our silence. Emily finally moved, pulling a thin nket from the back seat and handing it to me without looking. A small gesture


    —but enough to make my chest tighten. I took it gently and tucked it around Noah.


    “Thank you,” I whispered, even though I knew she might not respond.


    The car continued on, taking us who-knows-where-into a night that was far from over, and feelings left


    unspoken. But for now, this embrace was enough. This small warmth was enough.


    “Mommy’s staying over?” Noah asked softly.


    I shook my head gently. “No, sweetheart. Mommy’s just here to help you fall asleep. Then Mommy has to go


    home. Okay?”


    His face fell slightly, but he nodded. “But Mommy will read me a story first, right?”


    I smiled. “Of course.”


    GET IT N


    11:16 AM Tue 2 Sep