Simon and Claire longed for a child. After years of heartbreak, they finally

adopted little Sophie—a sweet, wide-eyed girl who clung to Simon

like she already knew he was her dad.At first, everything felt perfect.

But soon, cracks appeared.Claire changed. Her warmth faded into resentment.

When Sophie accidentally stained Claire’s wedding dress with paint, Claire snapped. She demanded they,

give Sophie back.“She’s ruining everything,” Claire said. “Either she goes,

or I do.”Simon didn’t hesitate. “She’s my daughter. I’m not giving her up.

”Claire left.Three weeks later, she came back, full of apologies.

But Simon couldn’t forget how easily she walked away—not just from him,

but from a scared little girl who cried herself to sleep for weeks.“You didn’t

just leave me,” Simon told her. “You broke her. And I won’t let that happen again.

”One year later, Sophie still flinches sometimes. Still checks that Simon’s there.

But she laughs more now. She’s healing. And so is he.Because family isn’t

just who you love—it’s who you fight for. And Simon chose Sophie. Always.