Nasya's POV
My smile froze in place. A bitter taste flooded my mouth - from the emotional move rising in my throat at Joanna's innocent question.
"Does my Joanna-rabbit like Uncle Austin?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain light.
"Like him!" Joanna's entire face lit up with the radiant joy only children can muster. "I love him!" She clutched the gold-foiled chocolate meant for Austin between both hands like a sacred offering. "Orion says he likes Uncle Austin too! Can we make him our daddy? Please please please?"
The refusal exploded from my lips before my brain could engage, the word detonating in the hallway like a grenade. "No!" It came out harsher than I'd intended, sharp enough that both children physically recoiled. Their small shoulders slumped in perfect unison, the light draining from their faces like water from a punctured bucket.
