sheldelisle
When Birdie and Mimi set out to clear the old barn, they expect dust, cobwebs, and forgotten memories-not a terrified young woman hiding in the shadows with her six-month-old baby.
Athena is no ordinary runaway. She's educated, guarded, and clearly fleeing something she refuses to name. Against better judgment-but guided by instinct-Mimi brings Athena and her daughter into the house, determined to help her rebuild a life in secret.
For a few fragile days, hope blooms.
Then Athena vanishes.
No note. No explanation. Just an empty bed and a baby left behind.
As Mimi steps in to mother the child, Birdie is haunted by one question: what could frighten a woman enough to abandon the one person she loves most? What begins as concern spirals into a dangerous search that exposes buried secrets, powerful enemies, and a truth far darker than either woman imagined.
Because Athena wasn't just running from her past. She was hiding from something that may have finally found her.