Seraphina's Point Of View
"Thank you, Rose."
The words left my lips softer than I expected… softer than anything I'd said all day. They felt strange in my mouth, unfamiliar, like speaking a language I'd forgotten how to use.
Rose blinked. Once. Twice. Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, like her brain had to rewind just to confirm she'd heard me correctly.
"…what did you say?" she asked slowly, narrowing her eyes at me as though I'd just confessed to a crime.
I didn't let go of her hand. My fingers stayed wrapped around hers, anchoring me to this moment, to this vulnerability I wasn't sure I knew how to navigate.
I didn't look away either.
"I said thank you," I repeated, this time a little clearer, forcing myself to hold her gaze. "And I mean it."
She stared at me, her mouth slightly open, still radiating suspicion.
