"I won't repeat myself. Come put on my clothes."
With that, Fiona stepped forward slowly, then stopped, as if testing the ground beneath her feet. The room was quiet, filled only with the faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the bathing chamber behind Edward.
Her time away in her hometown had changed her more than she had expected. It was not just the distance, but the quiet time spent watching her mother live day by day without complaint. Her mother woke early, worked until her hands ached, and still found the strength to smile at night. Life had not been kind to her, yet she endured without bitterness. Fiona had watched that strength closely. Slowly, it had settled into her bones.
She lifted her head and looked at Edward properly.
