Sabrina touched his cheek gently. “You didn’t ruin anything. I just… should’ve handled this differently.” Mark stepped closer, still shaken but calmer. “We’ll figure it out. All of us. But no more secrets.” Kayla stood back, heart still pounding.
The fear she’d carried for days slowly eased into something softer—sadness, relief, empathy. All the strange noises, the missing items, the tension…it finally made sense. Before she left, Mark turned to her with genuine gratitude. “Thank you,” he said. “For paying attention. For keeping Tommy safe.” Kayla nodded. “I’m glad everyone’s okay.”