Chapter 94 Stand Back

• Victoria stood in the kitchen, her hands running through the familiar motions of preparing dinner. Ethan’s laughter drifted in from the living room, his small voice muffled by the television. The house was quieter than it had been in a long while. She hadn’t expected life to be easy, but she was managing.
• Her phone buzzed on the counter, the familiar ringtone for Zander. She hesitated, looking at the screen for a moment, before swiping it away.
• Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Ethan’s footsteps in the hall. He appeared at the kitchen door, still clutching his toy dinosaur.