I sat on the sofa with a warm cup of coffee, watching my brothers play. Leo looked up, offering me a lopsided, toothy grin.
“Look, Clara! We built a castle for us!”
I smiled, feeling a deep, unshakeable warmth fill my heart.
I hadn’t chosen to become a mother at twenty-two, but standing up for my brothers was the best decision I ever made. We didn’t need Brandon. We had each other, a home built on unconditional love, and a future that no one could ever take away from us.
EPILOGUE
Five years later, the morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our sunny backyard kitchen, painting golden square patches across the wooden floor.
On the kitchen island sat two bright blue backpacks stuffed with new notebooks, sharp pencils, and matching lunchboxes. It was the first day of fifth grade for Leo and Lucas.
“Clara! Lucas took my lucky superhero socks!” ten-year-old Leo shouted, sprinting into the kitchen with one sock on and one bare foot.
