Tina let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “That’s it,” she whispered, steadying the bottle as the calf drank, his small mouth working weakly at first, then with more purpose.

Jonas exhaled beside her, relief clear in his posture. “He’s got it.”

Tina smiled, her chest loosening just a little. They stayed like that for a long time, kneeling in the straw, watching as the little orphan drank the special formula that would keep him alive. It wasn’t a victory—not yet. But it was a step.

And for now, that was enough.

***

As she made her way back to the main house to feed Angelica who was stirring a little restless against her, Tina’s pace slowed when she caught sight of Bette standing near one of the Land Rover, deep in conversation with Nyah. The two were close, their body language unreadable at first, but something about the way they leaned into each other made Tina’s breath hitch.

Tina shifted her weight slightly, adjusting Angelica on her back as she lingered in the shadow of an outbuilding watching the exchange unfold. Bette and Nyah stood close, closer than two colleagues planning a patrol needed to be. There was an ease between them, a quiet familiarity that made something tighten in Tina’s stomach.

Nyah leaned in just slightly, speaking in a what looked to be hushed tones. She wasn’t touching Bette, but the space between them felt almost non-existent. Bette tilted her head, listening intently, her brow furrowing in thought. It was the kind of expression she always had when she was caught up in something important, but there was something else, too, a quiet understanding that went beyond the work.

Then Nyah smiled, just barely, and Tina saw Bette’s lips twitch in response. A shared moment. A private exchange.

Tina had seen that look before.

It was the way Bette used to stand with her, that subtle lean toward the other person, the slight shift of body weight as if unconsciously drawn in. It was how Bette behaved when she was comfortable, when someone had earned her trust, when she was… what? Enjoying their company?

Nyah’s hand moved briefly, fingers grazing the edge of the truck’s open door as she spoke. The movement was casual, effortless, but it felt intimate in a way Tina couldn’t ignore.

Bette nodded, arms still crossed, but she uncrossed them for a moment, rubbing a hand over her jaw—one of her many tells when she was working through something. Then she sighed, shifting her stance, her hip just brushing against Nyah’s as she moved to lean on the truck beside her. Nyah didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away. If anything, she seemed settled there, comfortable in the closeness.

Tina swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

She knew better than to jump to conclusions. She knew Bette, knew the way she threw herself into her work, the way she formed bonds with the people she relied on in the field. But knowing that didn’t stop the slow, uneasy coil of jealousy from forming in her gut.

Angelica stirred against her back, letting out a tiny whimper, and Tina instinctively reached back to rub her daughter’s leg, grounding herself.

She should walk away. She would walk away.

But for a few more moments, she just stood there, watching, wondering, when had Bette last looked at her like that