Zion slept.
But his cheeks were still flushed.
And Emily’s words kept returning, quietly but persistently.
“I couldn’t ignore it.”
Upstairs, Emily packed her small suitcase.
At the top of her belongings sat a photograph of a young boy in a wheelchair—her brother Caleb.
She had spent years caring for him.
Watching seizures.
Watching fear.
And eventually…
Watching him disappear.
That loss had taught her something no textbook ever could.
How fast a child can slip away.
She was about to leave when the sound came.
Not crying.
Not normal distress.
A sharp, broken gasp.
.webp)
Her body reacted before her mind could process it.
She dropped everything and ran.
When she reached the nursery, Marcus was already there.
