“You won’t be lonely anymore. You’ll have someone to play with and teach things to. And one important thing—our love for you doesn’t change one bit. Not one bit.”
To their great relief, Sophie reacted with pure excitement. She clapped her hands and started firing questions at them. “Really? That’s so cool! Mama, will you let me hold the baby? Can I push the stroller?”
“That’s better than any toy!” Katie laughed through tears and hugged her tightly.
“Of course, sweetheart. We’ll take care of the baby together—baths, diapers, all of it. We’re a team.”
That evening Tammy set a celebratory table, and afterward the whole family settled into the living room to watch a cheerful Christmas movie. Sophie curled up between her parents on the couch. She felt warm, safe, and exactly where she belonged.
Tammy sat in her chair knitting a scarf for her granddaughter and looking over at the family with quiet satisfaction. She was deeply happy for her daughter, who had finally caught a break in life. Eugene held his girls close and felt, maybe for the first time, like a fully complete man.
He had built a career. He had become a husband in the truest sense. He had become a father. For him, those were the things that mattered most. And somewhere across town, in a stylish apartment, his ex-wife Olivia was finding out just how empty a life can feel.
Time was catching up with her. One meaningless affair after another had brought her no peace. Now she wanted stability, and a dependable man like Eugene no longer seemed dull. She even found herself thinking about children, but life was not cooperating.
The parties, the resorts, the social scene—all of it had gone stale. To quiet the emptiness, she started drinking more. First wine, then champagne, then harder liquor.
The real breakdown came when she opened a glossy magazine and found a feature on the well-known plastic surgeon Dr. Eugene Nichols. It included a professional family photo…
