Chapter 76

The next morning, after Benjamin left for work, I went straight into my usual routine. Daisy was still curled up in bed, her little hands tucked under her cheek. I sat beside her and brushed her hair back gently before waking her. She blinked up at me, smiling sleepily. That smile alone gave me the strength to move.

I carried her to the bathroom and gave her a bath. She kept giggling as the warm water splashed on her skin. For a few minutes, I forgot the weight in my chest. I dried her, slipped her into a soft dress, and tied her hair into two tiny ponytails. In the kitchen, I prepared her breakfast — scrambled eggs and toast, cut into small squares the way she liked. She ate happily, humming between bites.

I sat across from her, pretending to eat too, though I barely touched my food. My mind was somewhere else. Every sound in the room felt distant, the clinking of Daisy’s spoon, the faint noise from the TV, all drowned under the steady pounding of my heart.

When s