At sunrise, mist curled along the yard fence. Grace stood at the threshold, nose lifted to the light, while Lucky bounded into the dew, leaving tiny comet trails in the grass.
Thomas leaned against the doorframe, coffee warming his hands. “You did it, mama,” he said softly. “You kept him safe. And somehow—you kept me, too.”
Grace looked back, eyes bright and knowing. Lucky barreled into them both, tail going like a metronome set too fast.
The storm that had brought them together was only a memory now—but its gift was alive and laughing, racing into a brand-new day.
