Chapter 783
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She picked up without hesitation. “Hello, sweetheart.”
“Mommy! I miss you so, so much! When are you coming home?” Zenia’s voice, delicate and full of longing, fluttered through the speaker like a breeze.
Linsey stepped into the hushed corridor and wandered toward the quiet end. Her voice dropped to a gentle murmur. “I will be home soon. You two be good and wait for me, alright?”
The sweetness in Zenia’s reply made Linsey’s heart ache in the most beautiful way.
“Mommy, Zander and I are being really good. We’re doing everything Caylee tells us.”
From the background, she could just make out Zander’s eager little voice. “Zenia! I want to talk to Mommy too!”
Zenia paused, then switched to her most solemn, grown-up tone. “Okay, I’ll let you talk to Mommy for a little while.”
Linsey let out a soft, breathy chuckle, her heart full. Zander’s voice came next, filled with earnest concern. “Mommy, did you eat yet? Are you hungry?”
She hadn’t even thought about food until that moment—but now that he mentioned it, the emptiness in her stomach made itself known. Still, she smiled through the warmth in her chest.
“It’s alright, sweetheart. I will wait. I’ll eat with you and Zenia when I get back,” Linsey responded.
Zander giggled, then practically burst with excitement. “Mommy, guess what! Zenia and I learned how to bake cookies with Caylee! When you come home, you have to try them!”
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Before Linsey could respond, Zenia’s scandalized little protest rang out. “Zander! I told you it was a surprise! Why’d you tell Mommy?!”
Linsey laughed aloud, her heart swelling with joy. “It’s okay, darling. I’m already surprised—and so happy! The two of you baked cookies? That’s amazing. I can’t wait to taste them when I get home.”
The call went on a little longer, full of sweet exchanges and giggles, until Linsey gently coaxed the kids to say goodnight.
As the screen dimmed and the call ended, she stared at the fading glow with a soft smile, all the loneliness she had felt earlier dissolving like sugar in tea.
She realized, in that moment, there was nothing to feel sad about. With Zenia and Zander in her life, she had everything she needed. They were her joy, her anchor, her home.
As for Collin… she exhaled quietly, the decision settling with surprising ease. He could do whatever he pleased. It had nothing to do with her anymore.
Linsey took a long breath, steadying herself. Reinvigorated, she turned to leave—only to come face to face with a pair of eyes watching her.
“Ah!” A soft gasp escaped her lips.
Collin stood a few steps away, expression unreadable, his gaze heavy with something she couldn’t quite place.
Her breath hitched. She hadn’t expected to see him—not here, not now.
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