She just nodded slowly, clutching my sleeve. We took her for ice cream, chocolate with rainbow sprinkles. She smiled, just barely, when the cone started to drip down her wrist.
That night, Ellie picked her favorite movie. We made popcorn with extra butter. She curled between us on the couch, her breathing finally calm as she drifted off under the blanket.
As she slept, I sat in the low flicker of the TV light, gripping Daniel’s hand harder than I meant to. “I won’t let this go,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t.
She’s just a baby…”
“Neither will I,” he said, his voice firm. Two weeks later, we planned a birthday picnic for Daniel at our home. The invitation was deliberate: “We’re celebrating Daniel’s birthday.
Everyone who sees Ellie as part of this family is more than welcome to join.”
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