“I’m really hungry…”
He swallowed hard.
“Let’s fix that.”
The fridge was nearly empty.
While he’d been working late… his daughter had been surviving on scraps.
That realization made him feel sick.
He ordered a full meal immediately.
While they waited, he gave her milk and cookies.
“Is she really leaving?” Emma asked.
“Yes.”
“What about Oliver?”
“He stays. You’ll just be his sister—not his caretaker.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“…So I can be a normal kid again?”
Daniel smiled softly.
“Yes. Exactly that.”
That night, after a proper meal and a warm shower, he gently treated her back.
