Rebuilding What Was Taken
Life after Vivienne wasn’t instantly better. Aurora, after all, had known only loss, uncertainty, and distrust.
She struggled to adjust to the sprawling Sterling estate. Marble floors didn’t erase memories of crowded foster homes. Designer clothes didn’t fill the hole left by years of abandonment.
But Nathaniel didn’t give up.
He walked her to school. Listened to her fears. Showed up, every single day.
One evening, as they shared quiet pasta at the grand dining table, she whispered, “Is it okay if I call you… Dad?”
Nathaniel choked back tears. “I’ve waited fifteen years to hear that.”
