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I laugh andcarefully so as not to jostle Avery Anna picks up nore it, content to gaze at the cute baby I wonder if that’s on ht enters my brain, I immediately think of Jaime If we had babies, I wonder if they’d inherit her hair and eyes They’d be so beautiful

When the oven tihts I can’t be thinking of babies with Jaio anywhere I’ll either run because I’ll feel trapped, or it will all be fucked up when she finds out I’ve been lying

“I saw Malik today,” Anna says

I glance up to see she has pulled so cheesy from the oven that smells distinctly Mexican “Yeah… heard he came back today, but I didn’t see him”

“He’s staying in one of the apartments”

“He probably debriefed today” I turnspit bubbles “I doubt Kynan will put hiuy went through”

I take a finger, pop a bubble, and marvel at the miracle of this tiny creature

“Did you kill the men who took Malik?” Anna asks

My head snaps up, cute little baby cootten for the moment

I know Anna has been emotionally invested in Malik’s return, so this question isn’t overly surprising I also know she’s tough and can take the details “I have no clue about the actual uarding hiet as they rotated out every few days”

“Good,” she murht?”

I shrug because I don’t know for sure That’s such an individual thing “I think he’s the type who can deal I round He’s trained for that type of scenario Bottom line… we all have to pull deep to overcome stuff like that”

Anna tilts her head, eyes narrowing slightly “Have you had to overco like that?”

“Yeah I was on a Jaot shot—”

“What?” she practically shrieks

I give her a censuring look, nodding down at Avery to indicate she should keep it down As her mom, Anna doesn’t need this reminder, and she merely rolls her eyes