#Chapter 197 – Calm Before the Storm

Ronan The days blurred together, but not with the same chaos that had marked the birth. Wake, work, patrol, repeat. Thalia moved through it all as though she had always belonged here. Where I faltered, she stepped in. Where exhaustion would have crushed me flat, she steadied the weight before it broke. She carried the babies with ease, her hands sure even in the deepest hours of the night. She knew which herbs eased a fever, which songs soothed a restless cry, which foods Lila could keep down as her strength surged back. I watched her one afternoon, the baby nestled against her shoulder, her hand rubbing slow circles against Lucian’s back. She hummed softly under her breath, not a tune I recognized, but beautiful because she was singing it. The sound filled the cabin, blending with the crackle of the fire, the faint rustle of Lila shifting under her blanket. It was a sight I hadn’t dared imagine…peace, in even the smallest measure. For the first time in months, I ca