A Fierce And Thorny Flower

Weston swallowed the desperate denial burning in the back of his throat. The silence in the expansive living room stretched thick and heavy, suffocating the air between them. He stood rigid, his jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached. A deep, ancient sense of debt to the Stafford family anchored him in place, chaining his words down. His mind ran in endless circles around the sacrifices Lydia’s fat