Chapter 223 Miranda’s peace

Chapter 223 Miranda’s peace


Miranda’s POV

The room was quiet, but I could hear the old heater humming and the floor creaking as I moved. The loudest sound was my son’s breathing slow and peaceful.

I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him sleep. His little hand was curled up by his face, just like it had been since he was born. I gently ran my fingers through his soft hair.

“You know something?” I whispered. “You make everything feel lighter.”

He didn’t wake up, but he turned a bit toward my voice. I smiled and pulled the blanket up around him. It was warm and smelled fresh because I had just washed it.

I stayed there for a while, just looking at him. My body ached from a long day of packing orders for my small online store. It wasn’t much just handmade jewelry and accessories but it was mine. I had built it from scratch. Some days it barely paid the bills, but it gave me something I hadn’t had in a long time.

Control.

I looked down at my son and sighed softly.

“I think about what Lora said to me sometimes,” I whispered. “Back when everything was falling apart. She told me, ‘One day you’ll be a mother. And you’ll understand what you put me through.’”

I let out a small, tired laugh.

“I used to hate her for saying that. It felt like she was reminding me of my mistakes. But now…” I paused and touched his cheek gently. “Now I get it.”

I remembered the look in Lora’s eyes that day in court. The pain, the anger, the exhaustion. Back then, I didn’t understand how scary it was to have someone threaten the people you love. But now, every time I looked at my son, I felt that fear deep inside.

“I understand now,” I said softly. “I really do.”

My son made a small sound in his sleep and reached out with one hand. I gently took it and held it in mine. His tiny fingers wrapped around my thumb without waking up.

“You’re the reason I keep trying,” I whispered. “Even on days when I feel like I’m failing.”

I thought about Julian for a moment. He still hadn’t come to see his son. It hurt, but I had stopped waiting for him to change. If he wanted to be part of our son’s life, I wouldn’t stop him. But I wasn’t going to beg anymore.

I had Paul. Things were complicated between us, but he had been steady in ways I didn’t expect. That was enough for now.

I leaned down and kissed my son’s forehead. His skin was warm and smelled like baby lotion. I stayed close for a moment longer, breathing him in.

“I’m going to be better,” I whispered against his skin. “For you.”

I watched his chest rise and fall. The weight I had been carrying didn’t feel as heavy tonight. It was still there, but it didn’t crush me like before.

I stood up slowly, careful not to wake him, and turned off the lamp by his bed. The room went dark, lit only by a faint glow from the hallway.

Before I left, I looked back at him one last time.

He was my second chance.

And this time, I was going to do everything I could to get it right.