I tucked him away and went out to the kitchen. Carly didn't even look up as I passed her and Karina. They were tightly cuddled up together on the couch. In a vacuum, they looked cute lying together like that. They exuded an innocence that was both sexy and perfectly normal all at once.

I took a plate of leftovers to the kitchen table to eat. It was only a frozen lasagna, thrown in the oven to heat up, but it tasted so exceptionally good at that moment. I closed my eyes and let out a 'Mmmm' as I chewed the first bite. I really hadn't eaten much since the...