CATRIONA

A sound escaped me before I could stop it—half laugh, half sob. It startled even me. My fingers trembled as they smoothed a loose strand of hair from Abriel’s sleeping face.

“At first,” I began softly, my voice breaking, “when I was pregnant, it crossed my mind that she might be yours.” My eyes flicked up to Gabriel’s but dropped quickly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It drove me insane. Every moment—your scent, your touch, your voice—it haunted me. I wanted to see you. Smell you. Make love to you again. It wasn’t like me… it was like something in me kept reaching for you.”

My throat tightened....