Simon didn’t flinch. “She’s my daughter now.”Claire left.Months later, she came back, claiming she’d made a mistake. But it was too late. Sophie had cried herself to sleep for weeks, blaming herself. And Simon couldn’t risk her heart breaking again.

“You didn’t just leave me,” he told Claire. “You left her.Now, a year later, Sophie still flinches at raised voices, still checks to make sure Simon’s hand is there. But she’s laughing more. Sleeping soundly. Healing.Because Simon made his choice the day Claire walked away.And he’ll never let go.