Tommy’s tiny face was smudged with dirt, and Alex’s sock had a hole the size of a walnut. Their lips were slightly parted as they slept, cheeks flushed and hair tangled.

I froze.My mind couldn’t make sense of it at first. Why weren’t they in their beds? Why were they sleeping on the cold floor like they didn’t belong in their own home?

Panic surged through me.

“Tommy?” I whispered, dropping to my knees beside them. “Alex, sweetheart?”Tommy stirred slightly, letting out a sleepy moan. Alex shifted but didn’t wake. They were deep in exhaustion, their tiny bodies sunk into the hallway carpet as if they had simply collapsed there.

I pulled the blankets tighter around them and kissed their foreheads, trying to control the trembling in my hands.

Where was Mark?I stood up quickly, my breath