36. Emotional Investment

Here I stand, my figure silhouetted in the doorway of Ethan’s room, watching the rise and fall of his chest as he finally sinks into sleep. His face still carries the residual traces of the day’s sorrow.

I swallow hard, my heart lodged somewhere between my throat and my gut. The burden he’s carrying—the absence of a mother—isn’t something he should bear, especially not alone. My own emotions encircle me, threatening to pull me under. I’ve never felt this helpless.

With a sigh, I turn away and reach for my phone, my fingers automatically dialing Sebastian’s number. Sebastian has always been my confidant, my sounding board, for as long as I can remember. I need his counsel now more than ever, to steer me through this emotional tempest.

The phone rings, then Sebastian’s voice flows through the line. It’s warm, concerned. “This is becoming a habit, Somersett,” he says with amusement in his tone, but when I sigh, I can literally see his smile fade. “You alright, mate?”

My voice is so lade