There was a flicker of pain in her voice that had me kicking myself and my demons. I searched her face. “Not if you don’t want to. But if I start to talk in my sleep or move around, I want you to go. Don’t try to wake me up. Okay?”

“I promise.” She burrowed into my chest. “Why do I feel like we’ve been like this a million times before? That you’ve held me just like this? …And that sounded really silly.”

I held her tighter against me. “No. I feel the same way. Like I’ve somehow always known you.”

Her head tipped back so that she could see my face. “That’s it exactly. How does that happen?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never experienced it before.”

Caelyn’s fingers trailed across my chest. “Me either.”

I watched as her thoughts seemed to drift. I wanted to see into that beautiful mind of hers and know every thought and dream. “If your life could look like anything, what would it be?”

Her mouth curved. “I love that game. I’d have my own little café. Something small where I could have a real connection with the patrons. A place where I was in charge of the menu but didn’t feel like I had to be there from open to close every single day. I’d be married and have a slew of kids. Our house would be barely organized chaos but filled with so much joy. And Will, Ava, and Mia would love their honorary siblings. We’d have game nights and movie nights and a million different holiday traditions.” She was quiet for a moment. “Everything I didn’t have growing up.”

I couldn’t help seeing myself in the vision Caelyn painted. Chasing little ones with her green eyes around our yard. I wanted her to have it all. Every little piece that she’d envisioned for her life. I swept my lips across hers. “It’ll happen. I know it will.”

“I hope so.”

We were both quiet for a while, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Caelyn’s dreams. About the family she was so desperate to create. About the one she’d already brought together in such a beautiful way. “I want to do something special for Will’s birthday.”

Caelyn’s expression softened. “You’re already letting us have a party here. And I’m making all of his favorite meals tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. None of which I should be doing because, technically, he’s grounded.”

I chuckled. “You know you’d never let Will’s birthday pass without celebrating it.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “I’m a total pushover. Do whatever you want to make this day special for him.”

I brushed my mouth against hers. “Thank you.”

Caelyn looked as if she wanted to ask more but held herself back. “I guess we’ll both be surprised then.”