MICHAEL

The drive back home is quiet, but it isn’t empty.

King is sitting on my lap in the back seat, his warm, small body pressing against my chest. His scent is one of soap and sleep. His arm is shoved into my jacket as if it belongs there.

As the car winds on, Aliana looks out the window. Luca sits in the passenger seat, facing halfway between her and the window, as if he guards her physically even now.

The silence is complete, and no one speaks for quite some

The lights of the city streak past us in a blur.

Luca is the first to break the silence....