Chapter 6
When I woke up. Cassian was already gone.]]
And the divorce papers were nothing but ash in the firepit.
I packed Lumi’s ashes into my travel backpack and left with my luggage.
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Cassian didn’t come home that night.
He couldn’t bring himself to return to the old house, and he didn’t dare face that cold, quiet suburban home without me and our daughter.
That house–full of smiles that weren’t ours–was a constant reminder:[]
He’d hurt his wife and child to chase something he thought was better.
So he stayed drunk at some dive bar, numbing himself with cheap bourbon.
It was the only way he could sleep.]
He kept pretending this was all just a nightmare–that I’d still be there with Lumi, waiting for him to come home.
But Vesper’s calls kept shattering the illusion, one ring at a time.
He groaned, cracked open his bloodshot eyes, and stared at her name lighting up the screen.
A name he used to crave now just pissed him off.
His voice was sharp, groggy: “What?“]
Vesper paused.
Ever since she found out he came looking for me, she’d been anxious.
Scared I might actually take him back
Funny, isn’t it?
Yesterday she was showing off her perfect life–now she’s spiraling.
Her voice trembled with fake concern
“Cassian, Briar says she’s not feeling well.”
“Can you take her to the ER?”
He pressed his fingers to his pounding forehead, grabbed his keys, and stumbled out.
On the drive, he called me over a dozen times.
Every call went to voicemail
But I was already flying north–taking Lumi to see the world she never got to.]
She’d spent most of her short life stuck in hospitals.
She never got to travel, never had sleepovers, never ran wild like other kids.
Now I was going to give her that
When Cassian pulled up to the house, Vesper was in the living room, brushing Briar’s hair wirk
The second Briar saw him she
Chapter 6
“Daddy Cassian! You’re back!”
He froze, nodded absently, and sank into the couch.]
Briar chattered non–stop, drawing in her sketchbook, telling silly stories–but Cassian wasn’t listening.[]
His replies were slow, jumbled, out of place.[]
Briar pouted, annoyed at his indifference.]]
Vesper noticed. She clenched her fists behind her back but kept smiling sweetly:[]
“You must be tired, honey.“[]
“Maybe we should just stay in today..“]
Cassian replied on autopilot: “No way, kids‘ health is delicate.“]
“If she’s sick, she needs to see a doctor….”
His voice trailed off.
Cassian used to be ridiculously protective of Briar–a cough? Straight to urgent care.]
A scraped knee?
He was ready to sue the pavement.]]
But that concern….]
It was what he owed Lumi.[]
The guilt twisted his stomach.]
Even Briar’s presence couldn’t shake it.]
At the hospital, while Vesper took Briar in for a check–up, Cassian zoned out in the hallway.[]
Then he overheard two nurses chatting by the coffee machine:[]
“That little girl’s lucky.“]
“Both her parents dote on her.“]
“Not like the one I looked after–fighting cancer for two years, and her dad never came once.”
“You mean Lumi Vale in Room 29?”
“Yeah, I remember her.”
“Sweet kid. Real strong. Such a shame…“]
Cassian leaned in, heart pounding
But before he could hear more, Vesper and Briar came out.
“The doctor says it was just some mild indigestion,” Vesper said. []
“She’ll be fine with a little rest.”
Cassian remembered how every one of Briar’s illnesses had always been something minor
And how he still rushed to her side–leaving Lumi alone
The pain hit like a freight train
His vision blurred for a second
Chapter 6
When he snapped out of it, Briar was holding up her arms, waiting for him to lift her up.
One second.
Two seconds.
A full minute passed.]]
Cassian never moved.]
Just as she began to whine, Vesper gently pulled her back.
On the way home, Cassian’s foot stayed heavy on the gas.
Vesper glanced at him–his tight jaw, the storm behind his eyes-
And for the first time, she realized:[]
She was losing control.
