Chapter 200

Silvia Two weeks after Noah 's miraculous recovery, I found myself stretched thin between two lives I was failing to hold together. Sherman wasn't angry. He didn't yell. He didn't accuse. He just pulled back. Quiet. Careful. Like he didn't trust the space between us anymore. He still kissed me before work. Still held my hand at night. But it felt different. Lighter. Like he was touching someone he wasn't sure he knew. Noah was always around. He didn't do anything wrong, not really. He just always needed something. A ride. A form. Someone to sit with when the house got too quiet. I told myself it made sense. He'd almost died. Of course he clung to me. I was safe. Familiar. But the air shifted when he walked into a room. Orion would stop talking. Sometimes he'd slide closer to Sherman without saying a word. Once, I caught Noah watching me. He didn't look away. Just smiled when I asked if he needed something. But the smile felt off. Too still. I told myself I was tired. Overthinking. That