Chapter 47: Echoes of the Past
A pale late-morning sun filtered through the carriage’s window, dust motes dancing softly in the light. The countryside rolled by—fields and fences, sloping hills, hedgerows—familiar yet altered by years apart. Tiania sat quietly beside Rinaea Guphans, her best friend, who had accompanied her home today. Between them, Henessa’s small hand squeezed hers, her chatter a buoy of innocence and courage.
Tiania hadn’t gone home for quiet the yearsnow, left silently, wounded by emotional chaos involving Henrick and Ana. She had escaped to secrecy at her grandmother’s, discovered her pregnancy, and given birth to Henessa. Now, with her daughter in tow and Rinaea by her side, she felt the ache of return—to the home she once could only thought to run to.
