Page 91 of A Sinful Gravity

Her breathing was light and even. A little smile played on her lips—probably dreaming something happy.

I reached out and brushed the hair from her forehead. Then kissed her there.

Back in my room, I pulled out that tour plan and set it on the nightstand.

I lay down, staring at the ceiling.

My mind was messy and empty at once.

Eventually I drifted into a restless sleep.

The next morning, sunlight woke me.

I opened my eyes—already almost nine. On my rare rehearsal-free day, I'd slept in.

After washing up I went downstairs. The living room was unexpectedly quiet, but the table was loaded with stuff. I hurried toward it, glancing at the yard.

Cassian and Laila sat under the big tree. Laila had her back to him, sitting still while he carefully combed her hair with a brush in hand. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling them both with light and shadow.

Cassian's hands were steadier than before. First he smoothed out her hair, then divided it into three sections and started braiding. His movements were still a bit clumsy, but he was getting there. Laila sat patiently, occasionally turning to look and say something, and he'd stop to listen.

"Cassian, do you know a hundred different braids?"

"No. I only know this one."

"Then learn more!"

"Okay, I will."

"When you learn them, will you braid them for me?"

"Yes."

I watched, couldn't help smiling.

A few minutes later, the braid was done. Cassian picked up a butterfly clip from beside him and fastened it at the end.

"All done!"

Laila jumped up and ran to the glass window nearby, checking her reflection. She looked satisfied.

"Mommy!" She spotted me and ran over. "Look! Cassian braided it!"

I crouched down, examining it carefully. "Yeah, much better than before."

Cassian walked over and stood nearby, clearing his throat softly.

Laila pulled my hand toward the living room. "Mommy, come look, Cassian got me so much stuff!"

The coffee table was covered in snacks. Chips, candy, cookies, juice—all kids' brands. Next to it was a basket of toys, some still new with tags on.

"My friends are coming today!" Laila said excitedly. "Jenny and little Mary, from my dance class. They all want to come play!"

I thought back. Cassian had mentioned something a few days ago. "This afternoon?"

"Yeah!" She nodded hard. "We're going to play with toys together, eat snacks together, watch cartoons together! When Cassian invited them, he said we could play on the swing and slide in the yard!"

I looked at Cassian.