Surrendering the Weight

She drew a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. “I had just stepped into adulthood, and the next thing I knew—I was in a sterile hospital hallway, holding Leo’s hand, being told I had to identify our parents’ bodies.”

The dam broke then, and she finally let it out—sobs wracking her body, tears flowing freely as Kaelen held her close, steadying her against him.

Kaelen just held her, arms wrapp