Bella's pulse hadn't slowed even after Rachel left.
The silence that followed seemed deafening. Jake still stood there, hands stuffed into his pockets, his brows faintly drawn as though trying to make sense of the tangled scene he'd just witnessed. And Timothy, oblivious to the heavy thoughts going on in Bella and Jake's mind, was practically vibrating beside Bella, hope written across his little face.
Bella knew she was cornered. She couldn't fight both Jake's patient persistence and Timothy's innocent pleading. Her fragile wall was already cracking.
She swallowed hard, turning to her son. "Come," she said, her voice steady only by sheer force of will. "We'll go inside for a bit. Mama needs to get dressed now."
Timothy's eyes widened with joy. "So… we're really going?" he asked excitedly.
Bella's lips twitched, caught between denial and surrender. "We'll see," she murmured even though she knew the answer already.
