The Birthday That Changed Everything
On Sophie’s eighth birthday, the kitchen smelled of cake and vanilla frosting. Balloons floated near the ceiling, and baby Noah clapped in his high chair, his face smeared with icing.
“Make a wish, sweetheart,” Ethan said, holding the candle-lit cake.
Sophie closed her eyes, whispered something, and blew.
When she looked up, she smiled—a soft, steady smile that melted him completely.
“Daddy,” she said quietly, “this is the first time I’m not scared on my birthday.”
Ethan’s throat tightened. He kissed her forehead. “That’s how it should always be.”
For the first time in years, his home wasn’t haunted by echoes of the past—it was filled with light, laughter, and love.
