Whispers of the Season Ahead

The early morning light filtered through the gauzy white curtains of the Oliveira household, casting a soft golden hue over the nursery where four tiny cribs sat side by side. A gentle hush filled the air, broken only by the occasional sleepy gurgle or the swish of a rocking chair moving rhythmically back and forth. Emilia sat in it, one leg tucked underneath her, nursing little Luna while Liam dozed beside her on the bed, curled up with his plush giraffe.

Tobi stood by the window, shirtless, his muscular frame outlined in the faint glow of the rising sun. His hand rested lightly on the windowsill as he watched the sky bloom with color. His mind was split — half tethered to the beautiful chaos of fatherhood, the other already drifting into the storm that was coming.

Preseason.