Already Loved

“I… I’ll tell her what she wants to know,” she murmured, voice steady despite the lingering tremor. “As long as I have the answers. That’s the least I can do… she deserves them.“

Her words hung in the air, a fragile mix of resolve and longing, carrying both her promise to Kaelen’s mom and her own yearning to understand the mother she had lost.

Kaelen leaned closer, pressing a gentle kiss to the