“Enough talking,” Sophie said softly, her voice deliberately light as she cut in before the child could say anything else that might be too honest, too sharp. “Eat first. She refused to touch a single bite until you came back.”
She glanced down at Gabby, then added in a quieter tone, half complaint and half relief, “Her stomach’s been growling all night.”
“That’s not true,” Gabby protested immediately, puffing out her cheeks in a show of stubborn dignity. “Gabby’s not hungry… I was saving the chicken leg for Daddy…”
“Grrrr~”
The sound betrayed her before she could finish the sentence.
The small, unmistakable rumble echoed in the quiet room.
Dylan Brooks froze for a brief second. Then his eyes softened, his throat tightening as something sharp and sour surged up behind his nose. He re
