AUTHORS POV

They sat quietly for a moment, watching ducks glide across the surface of the lake. Clarissa came and handed them bottles of water and sunhats, adjusting Sofia’s visor with a mother’s touch.

“You two are like lightning today,” she said. “Hungry yet?”

“Starving,” Dean said.

“Same,” Sofia agreed.

They headed toward the park’s café, where the smell of grilled cheese, paninis, and fresh fruit drinks hung in the air. Clarissa ordered sandwiches and fruit cups, and the three of them sat outside under a yellow umbrella, eating as the city pulsed gently around them.

“Mum would love this,” Dean said between bites.

“She’s probably in her meeting right...