Those moments reassured me.
And the children brought light back into my life. We danced in the kitchen while music played, built blanket forts in the living room, and baked cookies that came out crooked but tasted wonderful.
Those small joys meant everything to me.
But Laura seemed to see things differently. She began coming home earlier, quickly gathering the children into her own routines. She corrected me more sharply, and sometimes watched me with a look that felt guarded.
Gradually, I began to feel less like family and more like an inconvenience.Family