Getting out of the room proved far more challenging than I anticipated.
Rhiannon and Rowena were supposed to be under Leora's watchful eye, but the moment I stepped into the hallway, they came toddling toward me with wide, mischievous grins plastered across their cherubic faces.
"Mama!" Rowena squealed, her little arms outstretched as if she hadn't seen me in days rather than mere minutes.
"Not now, sweethearts," I said, crouching to meet them halfway. "Mama has to see Aunt Lydia before the wedding."
"Come!" Rhiannon demanded, tugging insistently on the fabric of my dress, her tiny strength surprisingly forceful for a one-year-old.
I sighed, giving them both a stern look. "You're staying with Leora."
"No!" they chimed in unison, their defiance almost comical.
Seraphine's voice echoed from behind me. "What's going on?"
