The innocence in Daisy's voice cracked something fragile inside Michelle.
She opened her mouth—
And nothing came out.
Her mind raced.
Stay.
Stay and fight for a place in a home that already had history. Already had tension. Already had Imani watching from behind thin curtains.
Her eyes lifted toward the window instinctively.
The curtain had shifted again.
Imani stood there.
Still.
Watching.
Not smiling.
Not intervening.
Just watching.
It wasn’t hostility.
It was challenge.
Are you strong enough for this? that gaze seemed to say.
Are you prepared for the reality—not the fantasy?
Michelle’s stomach twisted.
She imagined mornings where Imani dropped Daisy off and lingered a little too long.
School events where she would stand slightly behind.
Conversations about parenting
