**Chapter 296: This Isn't Goodbye**

***Hazel***

The moment I stepped into the living room, joy unfurled inside me so suddenly it almost stole my breath. For a heartbeat, I simply stood there, unable to move and unable to think—just feeling. The air smelled faintly of home, of familiarity and safety, of something warm and lived-in that I had missed more than I ever realized.

I hadn’t allowed myself to imagine this moment out of fear