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November 29th: 6:00 a.m.
Isla woke before the alarm. Couldn't sleep anymore. Too wired. Too anxious. Too—everything.
Today. Killian came home today.
She looked at the clock. Six hours until his release. Six hours until he walked out of federal prison. Six hours until he came home.
Six hours until seven years of separation ended.
Sera appeared in the doorway. "Mama? Is it today? Is dada coming home today?"
"Yes, baby. Today. In a few hours."
Sera climbed into bed beside her. "I'm scared."
"Me too."
"What if dada doesn't like me?"
"He already loves you. You've talked to him hundreds of times. He knows you."
"But what if real me is different than visit me? What if—"
"What if we stop worrying about what-ifs and just—see what happens? Dada's going to love you. You're going to love having him home. It's going to be okay."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
