Morning arrived like a quiet miracle. Sunlight spilled across Violet’s apartment, warm and golden, spilling through the wide windows that framed the city in a delicate haze of cherry blossoms and soft wind. The petals danced along the streets below, drifting like tiny confetti celebrating the return of laughter, of calm, of life that felt fully alive again.

Violet stirred beneath the blankets, one hand resting on the swell of her belly, feeling a rhythmic flutter that made her smile even before she opened her eyes. Bryan was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with a cup of steaming coffee in hand, watching her with an expression...