The maternity wing had felt warmer than the lobby when they first arrived, the air heavy with lavender air freshener layered over the sharper scent of antiseptic. By the time they left, Willow felt as though the air itself had followed her home, clinging to her skin long after the class ended.
Now the quiet of her apartment wrapped around her like a soft exhale.
Willow lowered herself slowly onto the couch, leaning her head back as the fatigue settled deeper into her muscles. The Braxton Hicks tightening had faded during the drive home, but the lingering exhaustion still pressed through her body in waves. She rested one hand along the side of her belly, not because it hurt but because the contact steadied her.
Victor stood in the doorway for a moment after they entered, watching her carefully.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded, although her pulse still had not completely settled. "Yeah. It's passing."
He studied her for another moment before moving quietly into the kitchen.
