The little boy was still weak, but he was sitting up against the pillows with more ease than he had shown the previous night, and every so often, his small hand would reach up to steady his mother's wrist whenever the spoon trembled.
Dakota's tears had finally stopped, and she was smiling now, a quiet, fragile smile that Kade had not seen on her face since before Nightfall.
Whatever pain she was still carrying from the loss of their unborn child, she had set it aside for the moment, choosing instead to focus entirely on the son who had finally been returned to her.
Kade did not interrupt them. He simply stood there, watching, until he was certain that both mother and son were comfortable. Only then did he turn away from the window and make his way back toward the main residence.
