CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 10: THE QUESTION
Grace turned seven.
She was a whirlwind of joy, scraped knees, loud laughter, and boundless curiosity. She had Elias, who loved her like his own. She had Uncle Alex, who spoiled her relentlessly.
But children are observant. Children always find the missing puzzle pieces eventually.
We were baking cookies in the kitchen when she stopped stirring the batter and looked up at me.
"Mom?" she asked, her big brown eyes entirely serious. "Where is my biological dad? Emma at school said everyone has one."
The kitchen went dead silent.
I had known this day was coming. I had rehearsed this conversation with my therapist a hundred times. But hearing it out loud still made the air in the room feel thin.
I wiped the flour off my hands, walked around the kitchen island, and knelt down so we were eye to eye. I didn't want to lie to her. But I also refused to hand her the heavy, toxic burden of Trent’s legacy.
"You do have a biological dad," I said softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "His name is Trent."
"Why doesn't he live with us?" she asked.
I took a deep breath.
"Because a long time ago, before you were born, he forgot how to be kind. He didn't know how to love us without hurting us. And my job, my most important job in the entire world, is to make sure you are always safe."
Grace processed this. Her brow furrowed.
"Did he hurt you?"
"Yes," I answered honestly. "He did. But then Uncle Alex helped me, and we left. And because we left, I got to build this house. I got to meet Elias. And I got to have you, entirely safe and happy."
She looked at the cookie dough, then looked back at me.
"I'm glad we left," she stated firmly.
May you like
"Me too, baby," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "More than you will ever know."
She went back to stirring the dough, entirely unbothered. She didn't carry his shadow. I had absorbed the poison so she would never have to taste it. The cycle was officially broken.
