The drive home was quiet, but Maya couldn’t stop smiling.

Every moment she had spent with Anika replayed in her head like a gentle dream...the little girl’s laughter, the way her tiny fingers held hers, the soft hug, and the way she’d said, “You make me feel happy.”

Why was she feeling like this?

It wasn’t just fondness. It was deeper—like her heart was reaching for something lost and finally found again.

Could it be possible?

As she parked her car near her apartment complex, the peaceful warmth inside her chest began to cool. A cold breeze seemed to brush past her heart.

Her hand froze on the door handle....