At first, I thought it was sweet that my 7-year-old stepdaughter, Amila, woke up before dawn to cook breakfast and clean the house. She looked so proud, standing on a stool in her pajamas, serving coffee and pancakes. But the more I watched, the more uneasy I felt.

She had dark circles under her eyes and flinched whenever she dropped something, like she expected to be punished. One morning, I finally asked why she worked so hard. She hesitated, then whispered, “I heard

Daddy say no one will love a woman who doesn’t wake up early, cook, and clean. I don’t want him to stop loving me.” My heart broke. That evening, I told Ryan what she’d said. At first, he was stunned, then ashamed.

He went to her room, hugged her, and said through tears, “Amila, I love you because you’re my daughter. Not because of what you do. You never have to earn my love.” From then on, Ryan took on more chores and made sure Amila knew she was loved unconditionally. Slowly, she started sleeping in, laughing more, and being the carefree little girl she deserved to be.