PART 1
I thought I was marrying a man who had already overcome his greatest pain.
When I met Daniel, he told me the truth from the start.
"I have two daughters," he said softly during our second meeting. "Their mother passed away three years ago."
Most people probably would have panicked about that.
But I stayed.
Because behind the weariness in his eyes, I saw a man desperately trying to keep his family together.
And honestly?
I admired him for that.
It was impossible not to love his daughters.
Grace, the eldest, was serious and observant. She asked questions that seemed mature.
Too much for a six-year-old. He never accepted false answers.
Emily was the complete opposite: pure chaos and joy in one little person. One minute she was shy, the next she was climbing into my lap as if she'd known me forever.
Gradually, they let me into their world.
I never tried to replace their mother.
I simply tried to love them.
We became a family faster than I expected.
Daniel and I dated for a year before we got married.
The wedding was intimate and peaceful, by the edge of a lake.
Grace cared more about the dessert than the ceremony.
Emily fell asleep in the middle of dinner with frosting all over her face.
And Daniel…
Daniel seemed happy.
But also scared.
As if happiness were something temporary that could disappear if he relaxed too much.
After the wedding, I moved into their house.
At first, everything seemed cozy and normal.
PART 2
