Emily leaned forward as far as the chains allowed. Lily wrapped her arms around Emily’s wrists and whispered through tears.
“I saw everything. I saw what she did.”
Six months earlier, the Harrison home had felt peaceful. Sunlight poured into the living room, warming the hardwood floors and antique furniture Daniel had collected over the years.
Lily sat on the rug with her dolls, not playing, just watching the adults on the couch as if they were part of a story she didn’t fully understand.
“Lily, sweetheart,” Daniel said gently. “Come here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
The woman beside him was beautiful in a polished way. Auburn hair, a fitted blue dress, a smile that showed perfect teeth.
“Hi, honey,” the woman said, crouching down. “I’m Madeline. Your dad and I are getting married.”
Lily glanced at her father.
“Does that mean you won’t travel so much?”
Daniel laughed and lifted her.
“It means Madeline will be your new mom.”
Lily wasn’t sure what that meant. Her real mother had died when she was very small. But Emily had always been there—brushing her hair, reading stories, holding her through nightmares.
Madeline opened her arms. “Come here, sweetheart.”