Morning sunlight slipped through Lily's curtains, warming her face before she was fully awake. She blinked into the brightness, letting her mind settle slowly into the day. A rare quiet filled the house. Peaceful. Warm.
It should have been a beautiful morning.
Downstairs, she heard the soft clink of dishes and the low hum of a radio playing something calm. Lily pulled on a sweater and padded down the steps, her feet cold on the wooden floor.
Adrien was already in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a mug of tea. He looked tired eyes slightly shadowed, shoulders tense but he offered her a small smile.
"You're up early," Lily said, reaching for a mug.
"So are you."
She poured tea, leaning beside him. They didn't talk much in the mornings. They didn't have to.
Emma sat curled up on the living-room rug, hugging her stuffed rabbit and watching cartoons. Lily brushed her hair back gently.
"Morning, baby."
Emma yawned. "Are we still going to the beach today?"
Lily nodded. "Yeah. Mom wants to leave soon."
Emma smiled sleepily, leaning her head on Lily's arm.
Through the quiet, Lily heard faint voices from down the hall her mother and Ethan talking. Not unusual. Their tones were low, calm, nothing sharp or heated. She couldn't make out the words, only the rhythm of adults discussing something private.
Adrien looked toward the hallway too, but he didn't say anything. He sipped his tea again, jaw flexing thoughtfully.
Lily nudged him lightly with her elbow. "You good?"
He shrugged. "Didn't sleep."
"Bad dreams?"
"No dreams."
"Morning, baby."
He didn't elaborate. He rarely did. But the tiredness in his eyes wasn't from lack of sleep it was something heavier, something he couldn't quite name. A quiet sense that something felt… off. Not wrong. Just off.
The kind of feeling you ignore because there's no reason for it.
Elara appeared from the hallway, smoothing her hair behind her ears. She smiled warmly, though her eyes had a soft tiredness.
"Good morning," she said, kissing Emma's forehead. "Did you all sleep okay?"
"Yup," Emma chirped.
Adrien nodded politely. Lily gave a small shrug.
Elara's gaze lingered on her eldest daughter, as though checking for something. She squeezed Lily's hand briefly before moving toward the kitchen. Ethan followed a moment later, buttoning his shirt, his expression relaxed and focused.
"Ready for the big day?" he asked lightly.
Emma perked up. "Beach day!"
He chuckled, ruffling her hair. "That's right."
He grabbed his travel thermos from the counter and glanced at the clock. "We should try to leave in the next hour. I want to beat the traffic."
Adrien nodded, though the motion was almost too quick too attentive. Lily noticed but dismissed it as his typical protectiveness.
Ethan walked past Lily and Adrien to gather a few things from the living room. His movements were normal, his posture calm.
But Adrien watched him for a second too long.
"Hey," Lily murmured. "Relax. It's just a trip."
Adrien exhaled slowly. "Yeah. I know."
But he didn't sound convinced.
Outside, the morning was bright and warm, with a faint breeze threading through the trees. Lily stood at the window for a moment, watching sunlight flicker on the leaves.
A normal day.
A peaceful day.
Just another morning in a house that held two families stitched into one.
She had no idea that everything she saw the sunlight, the quiet, the little smile Emma gave her would stay frozen in her memory like a photograph.
The last perfect morning.
The last time everything still felt safe.
Before the storm, unseen and silent, began to rise beneath the drowned lies.