Sleep had only just claimed her when the sound came—soft, careful, wrong. She bolted upright as the second footstep sounded, pulse racing, breath shallow. Old instincts never really faded. She sat up and spotted the intruder by the door: a slender boy, bronze-skinned like her, his dark hair tied back in a bun.
"Junior," she exhaled sharply. "What are you doing? It's late. You should be sleeping."
He shifted, eyes flicking toward the hallway. "Sorry, Mom. I just wanted to talk. I thought you might still be awake."
"Well, I am now." She yawned. "Is Nelly okay?"
"Yeah." He shuffled farther into the room. "Last I checked, she was asleep."
"Zack? Show me vitals."
"Sure thing, madam," the AI replied.
A 3D holographic map of the house flared to life. Two green lights marked her room while four blue lights glowed on the second floor. Quiet hallways. Steady heartbeats. Nothing out of place. She waved the display away.
"Looks fine. Thanks, Zack—and remind me to shut my door next time."
"No problem, ma'am."
The display vanished.
She turned back to the boy, studied him for a moment, then softened. "Why are you here?"
He sat on the edge of the bed, fingers twisting together. "Tomorrow's Dad's birthday."
Ah.
"I was thinking," he went on, voice smaller now, "that I don't really know him. Not like you do. I want you to tell me how you guys met."
She leaned back and stared at the ceiling. The past stirred—bloodshed, loss, a life so loud she would have laughed at this silence.
A gentle smile touched her lips. "Well. Your father and I didn't exactly have the most romantic story."
"We did have some fun times," she said, eyes unfocused. "We really did."
"How fun?"
She exhaled. "Fun enough that it kills me he isn't here with us."
"Me too." His head dipped.
She brushed a hand through his hair. When had he grown this tall?
"You know what?" she said, smiling despite herself. "I'll do better than tell you how we met. I'll tell you his story."
His head snapped up. "Really? Even when he was a marshal?"
"At least the interesting parts. You're old enough now."
He stretched out beside her, grinning as he settled in.
She sighed, kissed his forehead, and rubbed his shoulder. "All right," she said softly. "Where do I start?"