Her Mother's Scent

Writing this chapter broke me and healed me all at once.Seeing Estela and Paisley together—if only for a fleeting moment—reminded me how powerful the bond between a mother and child truly is. That hug, that instant recognition, even without knowing the truth… it speaks louder than blood.Paisley’s innocence, her questions, her laughter, and that final line—“I was with Mommy”—left me breathless. She doesn’t know the truth yet, but her heart does.Estela is fighting battles on every front: grief, identity, secrecy, and an overwhelming love that she can’t yet claim openly. And Killian… oh, he has no idea what's coming.Thank you for reading, feeling, and loving these characters with me.Stay with me—things are only getting more intense from here.With all my heart,Márcia Altonier