LAUREN'S POV

While still sitting there on my couch, lost in a spiral of thoughts, I felt the soft brush of a small hand against my hair. My head tilted almost instinctively, and when I looked up, there she was Aria. Her big curious eyes gazed at me, her tiny fingers smoothing my hair as though she could fix whatever was wrong inside of me. My chest tightened, and for a second, I almost forgot about everything else.

I turned my head slightly, my eyes catching her plate on the dining table. It was empty. I frowned in disbelief. Aria never finished her food unless I sat with her, coaxed...