Nora was raising Leo alone. Whenever I asked gently about his father, she would grow quiet and distant.
“It’s complicated. Maybe one day I’ll explain.”
I never pushed her. Nora had already endured enough hardship. If she wasn’t ready to speak about it, I would simply wait.
So I showed up the way family does. I helped with midnight feedings and diaper changes. I brought groceries when money was tight. I read Leo bedtime stories when Nora could barely keep her eyes open.
I was there for Leo’s first steps, his first words, his first everything.
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