AVA’S POV
The morning sun shone radiantly through the kids’ bedroom curtains, casting golden streaks across the floor.
I stood by the dresser, brushing Ivy’s curls gently as she sat cross-legged on the fluffy rug, her little hands twisting her purple socks.
“I like this one,” she said smiling, touching the hem of the dress I’d laid out.
“It’s yours,” I smiled, pulling it over her head.
“You picked it out, remember?”
She nodded, quietly.
Her fingers kept fidg*ting, and I noticed her eyes sh*fting to the door every few seconds.
I didn’t ask why because I knew.
Julie held on to the hem of my shirt like her life depended on it.
Every step I took, she followed.
Even when I knelt to help Rita with her shoes, Julie’s small body leaned against mine, her arms curled tightly around
