Kleo lay with her head on her mother’s chest, soaking in the warmth radiating from her, listening to the steady rise and fall of her breaths. She had awoken in the middle of the night, still wrapped around Jack, who slept soundly in the next room. Her mother’s voice had come to her in a dream, soft and close, like a whisper brushing against her ear.

  Pulling on a simple overshirt, she slipped through the adjoining door and curled up beside her still-sleeping mother. The scent of the cool night air mingled with the lingering perfume of lavender and desert blooms, still held in the weave of the sheets. The fabric rustled against her skin, and the sweet aromas drew her back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  Sometime later, she stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She could have sworn she felt a gentle kiss flutter across her cheek, light as the breeze. Her head rested on her mother’s shoulder, and a lock of golden hair tickled her nose.

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  Her mother was still asleep, her breaths steady and calm. Not wanting to disturb her, Kleo held still, taking shallow breaths, but unable to contain her emotions, placing gentle kisses on her shoulder.

  The resemblance between them was undeniable. The structure of their faces, the shape of their forms—it was clear she was her mother’s daughter. And yet, there were differences too. Her mother’s features carried a graceful maturity, a wisdom etched into her youthful beauty. Kleo had not yet seen her mother’s eyes, but she was certain they would mirror hers.

  With delicate care, Kleo brushed a strand of hair from her mother’s face and kissed her cheek softly. A wave of warmth swept over her, filling a space in her heart that had long been empty. Until this moment, she had never realized how deeply she had longed for this closeness and connection. A mother. Her mother.

  When it was time to rise, it took every ounce of willpower to leave. She needed to return to Jack, to his comfort and warmth. That was her place now—her true home. But this moment, stolen in the quiet of the night, was a gift she would never forget.