Chapter 266 Birthday Party

(Lydia)

The weekend passed in a blur of worry and preparation. Every moment seemed to stretch and condense at the same time, a strange mix of dread and anticipation coloring everything I did.

Thomas and I were focused, trying to make sure every piece of the plan was in place, but no matter how much we planned, the fear lingered just beneath the surface.

Our twins, Mabel and Miles, were the only things that could distract me from it all. Talking to them, hearing their giggles over the video call, was like a balm for my nerves.

Despite everything that had happened, despite the tension that had wrapped itself around our lives like a suffocating blanket, they seemed mostly oblivious. Their little faces filled the screen, smiling and bright, and for a few moments, I could almost forget the nightmare we were caught in.

Mabel showed me the picture she’d drawn that day, it was something colorful and chaotic, with stick figures that resembled me, Thomas, and the two of them, all holding han