Chapter 145

By the time I carry the plate back down the hallway, the house has gone quiet. I push Mateo’s door open a little, but the moment I see him, I can’t help the smile that creeps up on me. He didn’t make it very far. The racecar bed is covered in toys, half still wrapped, half scattered, and right in the middle is Mateo, asleep sideways, one little hand gripping a plastic dinosaur. His new pyjamas are