His voice broke completely. “I heard everything Mom said—about my dad leaving, about him not wanting me. And I got so scared that if you knew the truth… if you knew my real father didn’t want me… you’d think something was wrong with me too. That maybe you wouldn’t want me either.”

He covered his face with his hands. “That’s why I never let anyone touch Fluffy. I was terrified you’d find it and send me away.”

I pulled him close, wrapping my arms around him. “Leo, sweetheart, listen to me. Nothing your biological father did—or failed to do—defines who you are. Nothing.”

“But Mom said he left,” he whispered. “What if that means there’s something wrong with me?”

Amelia knelt beside us, resting a gentle hand on Leo’s back. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re wanted and loved—not because of where you came from, but because of who you are.”

“So… you’re not sending me away?” Leo asked softly.

I held him even tighter. “Never. You’re my son, Leo. I chose you, and I will keep choosing you—always. Nothing will ever change that.”

Leo melted into my arms, his body trembling as relief washed over him, finally allowing himself to believe he was safe—truly safe.