Their voices had quieted into the slow rhythm of sleep, breaths steady and even. Ethan was the last awake, his mind sharp even as his body begged to rest.
He glanced down at them, one by one. Evelyn curled tight against his side, her arm still draped across his stomach like she was pinning him in place so he couldn't slip away.
Everly rested close, her breath warming his collarbone, her hand locked with his like she knew he needed the anchor.
The twins, tangled against each other and against him, their presence heavy with trust, pressing into him with every small shift of their bodies.
The weight of them wasn't suffocating—it was grounding, like each heartbeat pressed against him was another reminder that they were real, that they were his to protect.
He lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss into Seraphina's hair, then leaning to brush one against Evelyn's forehead.
