He stepped closer, unsure whether she would recognize him. Megan looked up. Her eyes widened, then quickly dropped in embarrassment. Ryan felt a sharp ache in his chest.
“Megan?” he said quietly.
She hesitated. “Ryan… it’s been a long time.”
A thousand questions crowded his mind. What happened? Are they yours? Why didn’t you call me? But before he could speak, the youngest child started coughing. Megan wrapped him in her arms, whispering softly to calm him.
Ryan didn’t think — he moved. He shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around the shivering boy.
“Come with me,” he said firmly.
Her lips trembled. “Ryan, I can’t—”
“Yes, you can. You’re not staying out here another minute.”
And just like that, the fragile life she’d been clinging to began to shift on that freezing sidewalk.
He took them to a nearby café. Warm air and the smell of coffee surrounded them as they sat down. The children — Ava, Mason, and Caleb — devoured pancakes like they hadn’t eaten a real meal in days.
Megan looked exhausted. Her hands shook as she lifted her water glass. Ryan couldn’t stop staring.
“What happened?” he asked gently.