Present Day - Friday Evening
Sophie sits cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by picture books and the stuffed elephant that's been her constant companion since she was two.
She looks impossibly small in her purple pajamas, her dark curls messy from playing, but her green eyes are serious in a way that makes Aria's heart ache.
"What did you want to ask me about, baby girl?"
Aria settles onto the edge of the bed, trying to project calm she doesn't feel.
Downstairs, she can hear Marcus and Rebecca discussing legal paperwork, their voices tense with urgency.
But right now, Sophie needs her attention.
"Mama, why did my daddy give me away?"
The question hits like a physical blow.
Aria has rehearsed this conversation a hundred times in her head, but she's never found words that don't hur
