The afternoon unfolded in a delicate dance of rediscovered routines. Homework supervision, a brief play period, preparation for dinner. Liam tried to participate without hovering, to be present without pressuring, all the while considerate of Sunny’s reactions to his proximity.
“Is Sunny going to be our new mommy now?” Hailey asked suddenly during a quiet moment as they colored at the kitchen table.
The innocent question fell like a stone into still water, ripples of tension spreading outward. Liam froze, unsure how to respond, terrified of saying the wrong thing.
Sunny set down her pencil slowly, meeting Hailey’s curious gaze with gentle seriousness.
“No one could ever replace your mommy,” she said, her voice soft but clear. “Your mom will always be your mom, and she loved you both so much.”
Hailey nodded, processing this. “But you love us too, right?”
“Yes,” Sunny confirmed without hesitation. “I love you both very much, in my own way.”
“So you can be like… an extra mom?” Hailey suggested, working through the complex concept in her five-year-old way.
Liam held his breath, watching Sunny navigate this emotional minefield.
“Something like that,” Sunny agreed carefully. “But the most important thing is that your daddy and I both love you, and we’re both here for you now.”
From the doorway, Beth appeared with a basket of folded laundry, her eyes meeting Liam’s with quiet understanding. She had witnessed the entire Anderson family saga unfold, her steady presence a constant through their darkest days and tentative healing.
“Girls, would you help me put these away?” Beth asked, offering Sunny an escape from the heavy conversation.
When they’d gone, Liam approached Sunny hesitantly. “You handled that very well.”
She shrugged, her fingers tracing the edge of a drawing Hailey had been working on — their family, stick figures standing before a colorful house. “I just told her the truth.”
“Not everyone would have been so gracious about Kate’s memory,” Liam said quietly.
“She’s their mother,” Sunny replied simply. “That doesn’t change, no matter what.”
The understanding in her voice, the complete lack of jealousy or resentment toward a woman who would always occupy a sacred space in their lives — it moved something deep in Liam’s chest.
As dinner preparation began, Liam found himself working alongside Sunny in a tentative recreation of their old rhythm. He chopped vegetables while she prepared chicken, their movements around the kitchen a carefulchoreography of not-quite-touching.
“I heard something at school today,” Liam said as they worked. “About Maddie.”
Sunny looked up, concern flashing across her face. “Is everything okay?”
“More than okay,” he assured her. “Apparently she defended you quite passionately to some kids who were repeating things they’d heard at home.”
Sunny’s hands stilled on the cutting board. “What did she say?”
Liam repeated the teacher’s account, watching as emotion washed over Sunny’s face, cracking the careful composure she’d maintained all day.
“She said that?” Sunny’s voice wavered, her eyes suddenly glossy.
“She did,” Liam confirmed. “And she was right, wasn’t she? You came back even when it was hard. Even when I’d given you every reason not to.”
Sunny set down her knife, bracing her hands against the counter as if suddenly needing the support. “I’m afraid, Liam,” she admitted, the words barely audible. “Afraid of hurting them again. Of letting them down.”
“That was my fault,” Liam said firmly. “I was the one who pushed you away instead of fighting for what we had.”
He stepped closer, careful not to crowd her but needing her to see the sincerity in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Sunny. Not just for the outcome, but for making you feel disposable. For confirming those fears you’ve carried.”
The depth of understanding in his apology — focusing not on seeking forgiveness but on acknowledging her specific pain — seemed to reach her in a way his previous attempts hadn’t. Something in her guarded expression softened, a hairline crack in the protective wall she’d built around her heart.
“Thank you for saying that,” she whispered.
