The line went dead, leaving a hollow silence in Yugh's room. The gentle morning light streaming through his window now felt harsh, illuminating the heavy burden of the news. He sat for a long moment, the orphanage worker's words echoing: "Yugh brother ❤️🩹".
He didn't hesitate long. A decisive energy took over. He quickly looked up the address of the Safe Haven Orphanage, committed it to memory, and grabbed his car keys. He had to see. He had to understand the full weight of the situation with his own eyes before he could even begin to think about what came next. The drive was a blur, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions duty, pity, fear, and a strange, protective pull towards the child who had lost everything because of a man Yugh had helped bring down.
_____________________________________
Across town, Anisa moved through her apartment with a lightness she hadn't felt in over a year. The terror of the nightmare was a distant memory, washed away by the magic of the winter flower field and Yugh's quiet, steadfast presence. It was her day off, and she spent it in simple, contented solitude brewing tea, reading a book by the sunlit window, her heart finally at peace. She was blissfully unaware that the man who had brought her this peace was now driving towards a decision that could irrevocably change both their lives, drawn by the silent cry of a newborn who had entered the world on a tide of tragedy. 📌