Chapter 10 - Under the Open Sky
The evening sun cast a warm, golden glow across the quiet balcony of Avery’s new, sunlit apartment overlooking the sprawling city park. The air smelled of fresh rain and blooming jasmine, entirely devoid of manipulation and deceit.
Theo rested soundly against her chest, his breathing soft and rhythmic, warming the crook of her neck. His tiny hand was curled into a miniature fist, gently grasping her thumb as he slept in absolute peace.
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Avery picked up her phone and opened her personal photo gallery. On the screen was a vibrant, unedited photo Sloane had taken earlier that afternoon: just Theo and her, sitting together on a soft blanket in a vast field of green grass beneath an endless, open sky. There were no fake backdrops, no forced smiles, and no toxic relatives lurking in the background to erase her existence.
She traced her finger gently over the screen, feeling the quiet strength settling deep into her bones. She was his mother. She had brought him into this world, and she had gone to war to keep him safe. And as long as she had breath in her lungs, no one would ever dare try to steal him away again.
