“Mommy?” They both froze. At the foot of the stairs stood Leo, clutching the railing, his pajama sleeves too long, his lip trembling. “Please don’t fight,” he whispered. Clara’s heart collapsed in her chest. She rushed over, knelt, and pulled him into her arms. “I’m so sorry, baby,” she murmured, kissing his hair. “We didn’t mean to scare you.”
Marc ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. “I’ll put him back to bed.” “No,” Clara said softly. “Let’s do it together.” Once Leo was asleep again, they stood outside his room, the silence between them no longer hostile—just heavy.