Chapter 5: Whispering Walls
That evening, Jax brought Clara and Leo to his house—the home Clara had once shared with him. Walking through the front door was like stepping through a portal into the past.
Clara stood in the entryway, her eyes wandering across the living room. The blue door, the stone fireplace, the framed family photos on the mantle—some showing her before the accident, others showing Jax raising Lily alone.
Leo held onto his mother’s shirt, wide-eyed as he looked at the spacious room. ""Is this where you used to live, Mommy?""
""Yes, sweetie,"" Clara murmured, touching a wooden picture frame containing a photo of her and Jax on a beach years ago. She closed her eyes, trying to force the distant memory to align with her current reality.
Jax set up the guest bedroom for Clara and placed a second small bed in the room for Leo. That night, as the house grew quiet, Jax sat on the porch, watching the stars. The air was cool, carrying the faint smell of jasmine from the garden Clara had planted years ago.
The door creaked open, and Clara stepped out, wrapping a knit sweater around her shoulders.
""They're both asleep,"" she said softly, sitting on the porch step next to him, leaving a careful distance between them. ""They held hands while falling asleep. It's like they knew each other before today.""
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""Twins have a bond that distance can't break,"" Jax said. He looked at her profile in the moonlight. ""How are you feeling?""
""Overwhelmed,"" she admitted. ""Grateful... but terrified that I'll wake up tomorrow and lose this again.""
