Page 94 of Finders Keepers

“Yes, sweetie?”

“I’m scared.”

My hands still in her hair. I glance at her in the mirror, heart squeezing at the worry in her eyes.

“What are you scared of?” I ask softly, trying to keep my voice calm even as my own nerves prickle beneath the surface.

She shrugs, but I can see that familiar anxiety tick, the way her little fingers twist the hem of her pajama top. “I heard you talking to Ms. Lucy… about Daddy.”

My breath catches. I finish wrapping the clear band around her braid, smoothing it down like nothing’s wrong. Like I’m not suddenly trying to guess exactly how much she heard.

“Oh? What did you hear?”

She shrugs again, smaller this time. “You said he might be looking for us.”

I turn her gently to face me. “You don’t need to worry about that, okay? Grown-up stuff can sound scarier than it really is.”

Her lip trembles. “But what if he finds us? What if he comes here and takes me away?”

My heart breaks clean in two. I pull her close and kiss the top of her head. “That’s not going to happen, sweetheart. I promise.”

She’s quiet for a moment, then snuggles into my chest. “Okay.” Then she pulls back and tries to smile, her shoulders squaring just a little. “Do you have to go to the flower store tomorrow?”

“I do.”

She tilts her head. “Mommy?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Do you like working there?”

That one surprises me. “Why do you ask baby?”

She shrugs with one shoulder again. “Flowers make you happy. I like it when you’re happy.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I smile. “I do like it, baby. And yeah… it makes me happy.”

Her face brightens a little. “Mr. Gavin makes you happy too.”

I swallow hard as I look at my daughter. Sophie has always been perceptive beyond her years, seeing things I thought I was hiding. It breaks my heart to think about how much she actually notices. My moods, my struggles, the way I force smiles some days. Children aren’t supposed to worry about their parents being happy, but here she is, watching me so carefully. I wonder how many times she’s seen through my brave face, how many times she’s understood more than I gave her credit for. The thought makes my chest ache. I’ve tried so hard to protect her.

I pull her into another hug, tighter this time. “You’re my happiest thing, Sophie. Always.”

She giggles, and the sound is pure sunshine. For now, that’s enough. We’re okay. And I’ll keep making sure we are.

I release her and we walk back into the living room. Gavin stands by the coffee table, holding a silver frame in his hands. My stomach does a little flip when I realize which photo he’s looking at, the one from the Spring Fling, where Sophie sits with Duke practically in her lap, kissing her cheek while Gavin holds me close behind her. Both of us looking into the camera smiling.

“You framed this?” His voice is soft, almost reverent.

Heat creeps up my neck. “I… yeah. Sophie really liked it.” I leave out how many times I’ve caught myself staring at it, remembering how natural it felt, the three of us together.

“Story time?” Sophie bounces past us, her braids swinging as she darts into our room. She emerges clutching her favorite book and Mr. Hoppy.

Gavin sets the frame back carefully. “What are we reading tonight?”

Sophie holds up the book, its cover worn from countless readings. “This one! It’s about a princess and her dragon. They go on adventures together.” She climbs onto the couch, tucking Mr. Hoppy under one arm while spreading her favorite purple blanket across her legs.

I settle beside her, and she immediately snuggles into my side. Gavin sits on her other side, the book balanced on his knee. The couch isn’t huge, and I’m acutely aware of how close we all are.

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