Arlene's POV
A soft buzzing fills my ears as consciousness returns. I push myself upright, blinking away the fog of deep sleep. Rockford sits beside me on the bed, completely absorbed in a calligraphy app on his tablet that he begged me to download yesterday.
The relief flooding through me is immediate and overwhelming. Every ache has vanished from my body, and that desperate, clawing urgency that consumed me before has completely disappeared. For the first time in what feels like forever, I actually feel rested.
"Hi, Mommy." His face lights up when he notices I'm awake.
"Hi, baby." I reach for him, pulling him against me as my fingers find his ribs. His laughter bubbles up as I tickle him mercilessly. His hair has grown longer, definitely needs a trim, but he looks healthy and bright. I run my fingers through the soft strands, breathing him in. He smells incredible, they both do, but my heightened senses are practically intoxicated by it now. "Where's your sister?"
