Simon and Claire spent years dreaming of a family. After countless heartbreaks, they finally adopted Sophie—a bright-eyed little girl who ran straight into Simon’s arms like she already knew he was home.

At first, everything felt perfect. But soon, Claire began to unravel. She grew resentful, blaming Sophie for little messes and accidents. One day, after Sophie got paint on her wedding dress, Claire snapped.“We need to give her back,” she said.Simon was stunned.Then came the ultimatum: “Either she goes, or I do.”

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.