~Jennie’s~

“Why do I feel more like a liability than a person these days?”

I whisper it before I can stop myself.

The evening air bites gently at my arms, and I pull the shawl tighter while one hand rests on the top curve of my stomach. I’m out on Leo’s veranda, and everything smells like fresh dew and burnt orange peels. It’s quiet—too quiet—the kind that makes your thoughts louder.

Leo appears behind me without a sound.

“I was looking for you,” he says softly. Then he pauses like he’s not sure if he should go on. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“It’s okay,” I murmur while still staring out...