He knew that tired smile.
He had worn it himself for years.
“Where’s your mom?” he asked quietly.
The three girls turned and pointed across the room.
The Woman in the Red Dress
Near the bar stood a woman in a simple red dress.
She held a glass of wine like a shield, her posture graceful but guarded. Her smile was polite — practiced — yet it never quite reached her eyes.
“That’s our mom,” the first girl whispered. “Her name is Emily Brooks.”
“She works at the hospital,” the second added.
“She reads bedtime stories even when she’s exhausted,” said the third softly. “But nobody talks to her at parties.”
As if sensing their gaze, Emily turned.
Her eyes immediately landed on her daughters standing beside a stranger. Concern flashed across her face as she hurried toward them.
Daniel had only seconds to decide.
He thought of Clara — and of something she used to say often:
Surviving isn’t the same as living.
He looked back at the girls and their hopeful faces.
“All right,” he said softly. “But first I need to know your names.”
Their faces lit up instantly.
“I’m Sophie.”
“I’m Maddie.”
“And I’m Chloe.”
An Unexpected Introduction
Emily reached the table, clearly embarrassed.