Concealed Truths and a Faint Connection

I stared out the window of the small hotel room, watching raindrops chase each other down the glass. My fingers absently traced circles over my still-flat stomach, mind replaying that brief, electric moment when Jaxon's consciousness had touched mine.

"Little Bean," I whispered, the nickname already feeling natural on my lips. "Your daddy knows about you now... sort of."

The bittersweet ache in my chest intensified. Our connection had been so fleeting—just long enough for me to sense his shock, his wonder, and then... nothing. The emptiness that followed hurt worse than never connecting at all.

"Everything okay?"

I turned to find Kaelen watching me from the small table where he'd been nursing a cup of coffee. The morning light caught his features in a way that made my breath catch, even now. He looked tired—we all were—but no less devastating.

"Just thinking," I replied, moving away from the window to join him at the table. "About Jaxon. About the... the connection."