The door closed softly behind Stephanie.
The house greeted her with low light and stillness, the kind that wrapped around tired bones. Exhaustion hit her all at once now that she was home—real, heavy, earned.
She slipped off her shoes and moved deeper inside, careful with her steps.
In the living room, Lila sat beside the couch, a folded blanket draped neatly over Stephanie's mother. Her chest rose and fell in slow, even breaths, her face peaceful in sleep for the first time in days.
Stephanie exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"She finally drifted off," Lila whispered when she noticed Stephanie. "She was asking about you."
Stephanie smiled softly. "Thank you… really."
Lila returned the smile. "You've had a long day. I'll stay up a little longer."
Stephanie nodded gratefully and glanced once more at her mother—safe, warm, untouched by the chaos circling just beyond these walls.
She didn't see the danger.
But it was there.
