Zion stirred slightly, letting out a soft sound, his tiny hand curling instinctively, and Emily responded immediately, her touch gentle, reassuring, instinctive in a way that couldn’t be taught easily.
Marcus noticed every detail now, the way she anticipated movement, the way she adjusted without hesitation, the way her attention never fractured, fully present in a way he had never mastered.
“I want you to stay,” Marcus said again, this time more firmly, not as a request, but as a recognition of something essential he had nearly overlooked due to his own rigid thinking.
Emily looked at him carefully, weighing his words, not out of doubt, but out of understanding, because staying meant more than employment, it meant stepping into a role shaped by trust and responsibility.
