Chapter 19 - STRONG ENOUGHLila rested her head against my chest.
"Do I need a daddy?"
I smiled through tears.
"No."
She looked surprised.
"Why?"
"Because you have Grandpa."
She smiled.
"And Uncle Ethan."
"Yes."
"And Carter."
"Definitely."
She giggled.
"And Mommy."
I hugged her.
"Especially Mommy."
She looked into my eyes.
"You're strong enough for both of us, right?"
I felt something break open inside my chest.
Not pain.
Healing.
I kissed her forehead.
"Always."
That night, after she fell asleep, I stood beside her bed.
The little girl who had once fought for every breath now slept peacefully.
I remembered the baby shower.
The punch.
The ambulance.
The NICU.
The courtroom.
The gun.
The snow.
The fear.
And somehow, we had survived all of it.
Not because I was fearless.
But because I finally understood something.
May you like
Being strong doesn't mean you never break.
It means you keep putting yourself back together.
