43. Homecoming and Heartbeats

|| Lilac's POV || As we walked into the house, the familiar scent of home wrapped around me like a warm blanket. The tension from the council meeting still clung to my shoulders, but the sight of Mom rushing toward us, her face etched with worry, made me push it aside. She had been waiting anxiously, her hands wringing together as she paced the living room. The moment she saw us, her eyes lit up with relief. “How did it go?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. I could see the worry in her eyes, the way her brows furrowed as she searched our faces for answers. Before I could respond, Ezra stepped forward, his excitement bubbling over. “You should have seen Lilac out there!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with pride. He launched into a dramatic retelling of the events, his hands flying as he mimed punches and jabs. “It was like Lilac threw a jab at Kael one from the left, one from the right and he couldn’t dodge any of them!” Mom’s eyes widened as she listened, her worry slowly givi