Chapter 19 - THE FAMILY WE CHOOSE|
"Dad! Look!" Jack shouted from the dining table.
I walked over to see his science project—a miniature model of a suspension bridge made of wooden popsicles and strong glue.
"It holds ten pounds!" Jack boasted proudly. "Naomi helped me reinforce the cables!"
I leaned down, inspecting his work carefully, then slapped him on the shoulder with a proud smile. "That’s my boy. Strong foundations hold everything together."
Rosie ran over, clutching her finished drawing. It showed four people standing under a bright yellow sun: Jack, Rosie, me wearing a suit, and Naomi holding a tray of cookies.
"Is that us?" I asked, kneeling beside my daughter.
"Yes," Rosie said innocently. "Naomi lives here with us now, right Dad?"
I looked up at Naomi, who offered a warm, slightly embarrassed smile.
"Naomi is family, Rosie," I said clearly, looking directly into Naomi’s eyes. "She stays as long as she wants."
Naomi’s eyes shimmered with quiet gratitude. "I'm not going anywhere, Roman."
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That evening, for the first time in three years, I sat down at the piano with Rosie and played the lullaby Isabella used to sing to her. The music filled the glass penthouse, sweeping away every ghost, every shadow, and every pain of the past.
We were broken, but we were rebuilding. And this time, the foundation was unbreakable.
